Rockland Man Who Smashed Wife's Laptop Faces 3 Years in Prison

Nicholas Clark of Chestnut Ridge, convicted Monday of a felony criminal mischief charge, faces up to three years in prison.

The 33-year-old, of 31 Wilshire Drive, smashed up his wife's laptop after she confronted him in 2014 with disturbing photographs found on his cell phone, said Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe.

According to testimony at the trial, she had found a photograph that the defendant had taken of a friend from behind while she was at an ATM machine withdrawing money. The friend did not know she was being photographed and did not consent to the photo being taken. Additionally, she found a photograph of his father's girlfriend in a bikini with her head cropped out as well as several celebrity red-carpet wardrobe malfunction photos showing the exposed breasts of female celebrities. According to prosecutors, she also discovered that the defendant was following numerous underage girls on Instagram.

Clark became angered when his wife told him that she found the photograph of her friend at the ATM on his phone. According to trial testimony, he reacted violently, head-butting and verbally assaulting his wife, before smashing and destroying the computer.

Clark then fled their condominium in Valley Cottage and his wife called 911.

The three-day trial ended on Sept. 26, with the jury finding Clark guilty of the top count of the indictment.

Clark was ordered to be held in the Rockland County Jail. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 3, 2017, when he faces a maximum of three years in state prison.

Senior Assistant District Attorney John W. McGowan prosecuted the case.