Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that a 38-year-old Huntington Station man pleaded guilty to Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the First Degree and other related charges, for sexually abusing his daughter over the course of three years.
“This defendant was an absent father who came back into his child’s life only to sexually abuse her shortly thereafter,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Fortunately, the victim felt comfortable confiding in her teacher which led to a thorough investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department and prosecution by my office, culminating in his admittance of guilt. I want to thank everyone involved in this case for zealously protecting the rights of this child.”
According to court documents and the defendant’s statements during his plea allocution, beginning in the summer of 2016, when the victim was seven years old, the defendant began to sexually abuse her during his weekend visitations. Prior to that time, the defendant had not been a regular
part of the victim’s life, and had only reached out to see her shortly before the abuse began.
The defendant told the victim that if she told anyone about what he did, that something bad would happen to her.
He also frequently bought the victim gifts as an apology for the sexual abuse he was subjecting her to.
The abuse continued until 2019, when the victim, who was 10 years old at the time, told her mother that she was no longer comfortable sleeping at the defendant’s house. In 2022, the victim told a teacher what the defendant had done, which prompted a police investigation and subsequent arrest
of the defendant.
On January 10, 2024, the defendant pleaded guilty to all charges in the indictment before County Court Judge, the Honorable Karen M. Wilutis to:
Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony;
Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony;
Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor; and
Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A misdemeanor.
The defendant is due back in court for sentencing on February 9, 2024 He is being represented by Christopher Brocato, Esq.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney MacDonald Drane of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Sean Murphy of the Domestic Violence Unit, with investigative assistance from Detective Sergeant Lauren Ventura, formerly of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Special Victims Section.