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Amityville resident Ascension Cruzsantamaria, age 52, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two minors under the age of 11 between August 2019 and December 2021, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced.
Specifically, Cruzsantamaria pleaded guilty to:
- First-degree criminal sexual act;
- Two counts of sexual abuse;
- Two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Tierney said that Cruzsantamaria admitted that in August 2019, he knocked on the door of his first victim, a 7-year-old boy, claiming that his mother requested that he babysit the child.
Instead, once inside, Cruzsantamaria sexually abused the boy, who immediately told his mother of the incident, leading to his arrest and indictment.
According to Tierney, following an appeal of his bail to the Appellate Division Cruzsantamaria’s bail was lowered and he was released from custody.
After posting bail, Cruzsantamaria returned to the same multi-family home in Amityville where he previously abused his first victim.
As part of his plea, Cruzsantamaria admitted that in December 2021, while on bail for the previous incident, he subjected a 10-year-old girl to sexual abuse at the same residence.
Tierney noted that the two victims were not related to Cruzsantamaria or each other.
“(Cruzsantamaria) manipulated his way into the rooms of these children and proceeded to take advantage of the fact that their parents were at work to sexually abuse them,” Tierney said.
“Today’s plea holds this dangerous predator to account while, thankfully, sparing these young children from having to testify in court.”
When he is sentenced on Thursday, June 16, Tierney said that Cruzsantamaria is expected to receive a term of 13 years in prison followed by 15 years of post-release supervision.
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