Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that a 33-year-old Flanders man[1] was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years post-release supervision, after a jury found him guilty of Attempted Rape in the First Degree, for sexually abusing his nine-year-old niece while her parents were out of the family home.
The District Attorney’s Office is not naming the defendant in order to protect the identity of the child victim.
“Today’s sentence means justice for a family whose trust was violated by the defendant,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Suffolk County is safer with this sexual predator removed from our community.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, on December 19, 2021, the victim, who was nine years old at the time, was left sleeping at her home while her parents took the family dog to the veterinarian. The victim’s uncle, the defendant, rented a room in the same house where the victim and her family resided. While the victim’s parents were out of the home, the defendant entered the child’s room and asked her if she wanted her back scratched. When the child responded that she did, the defendant led the victim into his bedroom and, after briefly scratching her back, began to sexually abuse her.
When the victim’s parents arrived home shortly thereafter, the victim told them what the defendant had done. They took the victim to the Peconic Bay Medical Center where she had a sexual assault forensic examination. Her undergarments were collected and tested, revealing the presence of the defendant’s DNA. The defendant was then arrested by the Southampton Police Department.
On January 23, 2024, the defendant was found guilty after a jury trial heard before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Timothy P. Mazzei, of the following charges:
- Attempted Rape in the First Degree, a Class C violent felony;
- Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a Class D violent felony; and
- Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A misdemeanor.
On February 27, 2024, the defendant was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years of post-release supervision and will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. He was represented by Christian Killoran, Esq.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michelle Chiuchiolo of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau and investigated by Detective Donald Metcalf of the Southampton Town Police Department.
Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.