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The District Attorney’s Office is not naming the defendant in order to avoid identifying the victim of a sex crime.
The jury found the defendant guilty of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and related charges for abusing his daughter, beginning when she was 15 years old, according to Tierney.
In February 2023, the then 17-year-old victim disclosed the abuse to a teacher following a specific incident of sexual abuse. An investigation revealed that the defendant had been grooming her since 2020. Police recovered evidence, including the victim’s shorts, which tested positive for the defendant’s DNA, prosecutors said.
The defendant was arrested on Feb. 17, 2023, and convicted on the following charges:
- Two counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, Class D violent felonies.
- One count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A misdemeanor.
Judge Timothy P. Mazzei remanded the defendant until sentencing, which is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2025. He faces up to 14 years in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender, officials said.
“This verdict holds the defendant accountable for his horrific actions,” District Attorney Tierney said. “Our thoughts remain with the victim as she continues to heal from this unimaginable trauma.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Melissa Grier and Johanna Poremba, with the investigation led by Suffolk County Police Detective Lisa Hofelich of the Special Victims Squad.
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