A 45-year-old Bay Shore man was found guilty after a jury trial of sexually abusing his stepdaughter when she was between the ages of 10 and 11 years old. He could face a prison sentence of up to 50 years in prison.
From August 2021 through October 2021, the defendant sexually abused his stepdaughter on three separate occasions while the victim’s mother was at work. When the abuse began, the victim was 10 years old. The abuse ended when the then-eleven-year-old victim sent a text message to 911 reporting that her stepfather was trying to have sex with her, and that he had sexually abused her three times in the past. The child was taken for a sexual assault forensic examination which confirmed DNA evidence of abuse. (The District Attorney’s Office is not naming the defendant in order to protect the identity of the child victim.)
On December 22, 2021, the defendant was arrested by members of the Suffolk County Police Department. On February 22, 2024, the defendant was convicted after a jury trial, heard before Suffolk County Court Judge, Karen M. Wilutis of three counts of criminal sexual act in the first degree, all Class B violent felonies, and one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor.
The defendant is due back in court for sentencing on March 25, 2024, where he faces up to 50 years in prison, followed by 20 years of post-release supervision.
“This defendant preyed upon his stepdaughter to satisfy his own twisted sexual desires,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “First, I commend this young victim for her courage in contacting the police and then testifying at trial against her abuser. I also want to thank the jury for their attention in this case and for helping to ensure that this defendant is held accountable for his heinous crimes.”