Former Milwaukee cop sentenced, sexual contact with child

Ruben Cardenas

A former Milwaukee police officer has been sentenced to five years in prison for child enticement with sexual contact.

Ruben Cardenas, 50, pleaded guilty to the charge in January. He was initially charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child, to which he pleaded not guilty in 2022.

In addition to prison time, Cardenas was sentenced to three years of extended supervision. He is due back in court May 5 for a restitution hearing.

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According to a criminal complaint, Milwaukee police officers responded to a home on the city's southwest side in April 2022 to investigate a sexual assault complaint. They interviewed a 13-year-old girl.

The girl indicated that Cardenas lived with her and her mother. The girl's mother and Cardenas returned home from an evening out. The girl stated while she was laying in her bed, Cardenas entered her room and touched her inappropriately. When she "flinched," Cardenas quickly left the bedroom, the complaint said.

According to the complaint, the girl immediately contacted her family and a friend to disclose what happened. Police were also called.