'Abhorrent': Man Convicted After Sexually Abusing Girl Between Ages Of 7 And 11: DA

SHIRLEY, NY — A man was found guilty Tuesday after sexually abusing his girlfriend's daughter when she was between the ages of seven and 11 years old, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

The Guatemalan national, who was living in Shirley, was found guilty by a jury of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, Tierney said.

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The young girl disclosed the abuse to her school's social worker following a class presentation on bodily autonomy, the DA said.

The District Attorney's Office is not naming the defendant to protect the identity of the child.

The evidence at trial established that the man began dating the victim's mother in the beginning of 2020, the DA said.

In November 2020, when the child was seven years old, her mother began working the night shift at a restaurant and relied on the man to watch the girl while she was at work, Tierney said.

He began sexually abusing the child while her mother was at work, the DA said.

In December 2020, the man moved into a residence with the mother and child in Shirley, where the abuse continued and escalated for the next four years, Tierney said.

In December 2024, when the girl was 11 years old, her school guidance counselor gave a presentation to students about what to do if they ever received an "unsafe touch," the DA said.

A few days later, the man sexually abused the child again, and the child disclosed the abuse to the school's social worker, the DA said.

The man was arrested the following day, Tierney said.

On Tuesday, the defendant was convicted after a jury trial heard before Supreme Court iJustice Timothy P. Mazzei, of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, a class B violent felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a class A misdemeanor, Tierney said.

The man is due back in court on December 1 for sentencing and faces up to 25 years in prison; he will also be a required to register as a sex offender, Tierney said.

He is represented by William Ferro; Ferro was not immediately available for comment.

The defendant is currently in the United States illegally; the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also lodged a detainer to deport the defendant after he serves his sentence, the DA said.

"The defendant was entrusted with the care of this young child, only to violate that trust in the most abhorrent way," Tierney said. "I am grateful to this brave young victim for coming forward and thank the school's administration for taking the time to teach children about body safety. One presentation gave this child the confidence to tell a trusted adult, and this defendant will now be held to account for his criminal behavior."