LONG ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) — A man was convicted of sexually abusing a 5-year-old family member and raping his former fiance’s 9-year-old child for three years, authorities said Monday.
A jury found the 41-year-old Southold man guilty of course of sexual conduct against a child, sexual abuse, and endangering the welfare of a child on Friday, according to the Suffolk County Prosecutor’s Office. The defendant’s name was not released.
“This defendant took advantage of the trust that his family and ex-fiancé placed in him, in order
to satisfy his own deviant sexual desires,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said. “We commend the child victims who courageously testified about their horrific experiences in court. Without their bravery, this defendant would never have been held accountable for his crimes.”
Authorities said the defendant molested his 5-year-old relative while the two watched a movie at his girlfriend’s apartment in 2021. The girl immediately told her mother what happened and the incident was reported to the police.
During the investigation, the defendant’s ex-fiance’s child told a therapist the man had repeatedly raped them from 2015 to 2018 when the child was between 9 and 12 years old, prosecutors said. The abuse happened while the child’s mother was at work.
The defendant threatened to hurt the victim’s family if they told anyone, officials said.
The defendant will have to register as a sex offender and faces up to 32 years in prison when he is sentenced on Nov. 30.
