LI Man Gets 30 Years In Prison After Sexually Abusing 2 Children: DA

SOUTHOLD, NY — A Southold man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexually abusing his niece and his ex-fiances' child, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said Thursday.

The man, 41, was also sentenced to 20 years of post-release supervision, after a jury found him guilty last month of sexually abusing his niece, 5, and raping his ex-fiancée’s 9-year-old child over the course of three years, Tierney said. He will also be required to register as a sex offender, Tierney said.

The District Attorney’s Office declined to name the man to protect the identities of the children, Tierney said.

The evidence at trial established that in April 2021, he molested his niece while watching a movie at his girlfriend’s apartment, Tierney said. That night, the child told her mother what

happened, and her mother reported the abuse to Southold Town police, Tierney said.

During the police investigation, a child of the man's ex-fiancée also reported having been
repeatedly raped by the defendant between 2015 and 2018 when the child was 9 to 12 years old, Tierney said. The abuse occurred while the man was alone with the child while the child's mother was at work, Tierney said.

He threatened to hurt the child's family if they told anyone about the abuse, so the child kept the abuse a secret, Tierney said. The child disclosed the abuse to their therapist once the investigation into the abuse of the man's niece began, Tierney said.

On October 20, the defendant was found guilty after a jury trial heard before County Court Judge Karen M. Wilutis on the following charges, Tierney said:

- first-degree course of sexual onduct against a child, a violent felony

- first-degree sexual abuse, a violent felony, and

- endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor.

The defendant was represented by Scott Zerner, who previously told Patch: "While we respect the verdict of the jury, my client has maintained his innocence and testified under oath to that effect, as well."

"This sentence of 30 years in prison for the sexual abuse of two innocent children is well-deserved," said Tierney. “Let this lengthy sentence serve as notice to anyone who thinks that they can harm children in Suffolk County and get away with it, that they are sadly mistaken. These children were extremely brave throughout this process, and I hope that this conviction will help with the healing process."