Woman Charged With Hate Crime For Harassing Child With Special Needs In Ulster

A Long Island woman has been charged with committing a hate crime after police say she repeatedly harassed a child with special needs in Ulster County.

Valerie Musson

11/11/2019 9:00 a.m.

New York State Police arrested Krista M. Sewell, 26, of Melville on Thursday, Nov. 7 following an ongoing investigation with the Ulster County Sheriff’s Department.

Police say Sewell engaged in the repeated harassment of a child with special needs via multiple social media sites as well as the U.S. Mail.

The victim suffers from Harlequin Ichthyosis, a severe genetic disorder that affects the skin, according to police. Sewell allegedly targeted the victim between Dec. 2018 and Nov. 2019 by posting messages to Facebook, Instagram and GoFundMe pages set up by the victim’s family.

Sewell also sent threatening letters to the victim’s home, police say.

Sewell was arraigned in the Town of Lloyd Court and charged with the following:

Second-degree aggravated harassment, a misdemeanor
Third-degree stalking, a misdemeanor
Second-degree hate crime/aggravated harassment, a felony

Sewell was remanded to Ulster County Jail and is scheduled to return to court on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Anyone who feels that they may have been a victim of harassment by Sewell is urged to contact New York State Police at Kingston and speak with Investigator Joseph Temple at (845) 802-9296.

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