A 30-year-old area man has been convicted of the 2023 luring and kidnapping of a then-11-year-old girl, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Tuesday.

Following an eight-day trial before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Paul X. Escandon last week, Raquan Folk, of Asbury Park, was found guilty at trial by a jury of: first-degree kidnapping, second-degree luring a child, and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Sentencing in the case has been tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 13, at which time Folk will face a term of up to 30 years in state prison on the kidnapping charge alone.

The case background …

Shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, the victim was walking on Ridge Avenue in Asbury Park when a man, later identified as Folk, pulled up to her in a vehicle and convinced her to get inside, according to an investigation led by Detective Kayla Santiago of the MCPO Special Victims Bureau and Detective Scott Ritter of the Asbury Park Police Department.

Folk then drove her to neighboring Neptune Township, stopped the vehicle, and told the victim to disrobe, prompting her to ask to use a bathroom. The victim at that point ran from the car, flagged down a passerby, and was taken to the Neptune Township Police Department.

Folk was taken into custody without incident days later and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI), where he has remained incarcerated since.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office

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