Cedar Rapids man pleads to sex abuse of child before trial

CEDAR RAPIDS -- A Cedar Rapids man pleaded to sexually assaulting a child over the course of nearly three months in 2020 just before his trial was set to start Tuesday.

Bryan Brady Ruiz, 28, pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual abuse and faces 25 years in prison. He originally was charged with two counts of second-degree sexual abuse, enticing a child under age 13 for sexual abuse or exploitation, lascivious acts with a child, indecent exposure and dissemination and exhibition of obscene material to a minor. Those charges will be dismissed at sentencing as part of the plea agreement.

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According to criminal complaint, Ruiz sexually abuse the child, under age 12, from Aug. 1 through Nov. 22, 2020. He would email the girl on her school email account. He also sent her explicit photos of himself and videos and encouraged her to watch pornography, the complaint stated.

His brother, Markus Clyde Ruiz, 29, was convicted in August of sexually abusing two minors, one of which appears by court documents to be the same victim. Neither brother is related to the child.

According to a criminal complaint, Markus Ruiz sexually abused the same victim in March and April of 2022. His other victim, a 13-year-old, was sexually abused over the course of a month in March 2021.

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Markus Ruiz pleaded Aug. 30, to one of his charges — third-degree sexual abuse — and faces 10 years in prison. He also was charged with two counts of second-degree sexual abuse, but those will be dismissed at sentencing as part of the plea agreement.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Christopher Bruns, after the plea hearing, in an order mistakenly released Markus Ruiz to the supervision of the 6th District Department of Corrections -- which allowed him to be released from jail and report to probation within 24 hours of release. However, third-degree sexual abuse was a forcible felony at that time of the incident and Markus should have remained in jail pending sentencing.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Jason Besler on Sept. 21 corrected the error and ordered Markus Ruiz to remain in jail pending sentencing. A warrant was issued for his arrest the same day, according to court documents.

The department couldn’t contact Markus Ruiz in August because his phone number wasn’t in service and he failed to comply with pretrial release, a pre-sentence investigator said in a notice filed Tuesday. A pre-sentencing investigator also couldn’t locate him to conduct a sentencing report.

However, Markus Ruiz was arrested later Tuesday, according to a return of warrant filed Wednesday by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

Markus Ruiz is set for sentencing next Tuesday. Bryan Ruiz will be sentenced Dec. 19.

Besides prison terms, the brothers each will be required to comply with the sex offender registry notifications and be ordered to serve special sentences of parole following their prison terms because these are sex offenses.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com