DA: Judge Rejects Juror Misconduct Claim in Rusty Torres Case

A judge shot down claims of juror misconduct and upheld the guilty verdict in a sex abuse case involving Rosendo “Rusty” Torres, the Nassau County district attorney’s office said Monday.

Lawyers defending Torres, a former professional baseball player who played for the Yankess in the early 70s, claimed jurors were manipulated into changing their votes to end deliberations, the DA said.

The defense could not prove juror misconduct, however, and judge Tammy Robbins upheld Torres’ conviction, the DA said.

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Torres, 65, of North Massapequa, molested two girls, ages 11 and younger, while he worked as a youth baseball coach in Plainview for the Town of Oyster Bay, prosecutors said.

Officials said that in April and May 2012, Torres made inappropriate contact with the girls and exposed himself to one of them.

Torres was charged on May 8, 2012 after one of the victims revealed the abuse to her parents, earlier reports stated.

Torres was found not guilty of two other counts of first-degree sex abuse and of sexual conduct against a child, said the DA. The charges stemmed from accusations of abuse of the second, younger victim, said the DA.

Torres is due to be sentenced Dec. 11. Torres faces a maximum of seven years in prison for each guilty verdict, or 35 years in total, the DA said in July.