Bay Shore Man Convicted On Sex Abuse Charges Involving His Niece

BAY SHORE, NY — A Bay Shore 36-year-old accused of sexually abusing his niece for three years starting when she was four years old was found guilty Tuesday after a jury trial.

"What happened to this child is a parent’s worst nightmare, and it is even more tragic that it was at the hands of a family member," Suffolk District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in a statement about the conviction. "This little girl was incredibly brave in coming forward to disclose what the defendant did to her, and I thank the jury for holding him accountable for his crimes."

The man, whose name prosecutors withheld to protect the identity of the child, is being represented by James O’Rourke, Esq.

"The defendant stood in the well of the court, pled 'not guilty' and has maintained his innocence from the very beginning," O'Rourke told Patch. "This is a horrific crime, and if, heaven forbid, an innocent man has been convicted, it's even more horrific."

Prosecutors said that in 2017, the victim lived with her family in the basement of a home that was shared with her uncle and grandparents. That fall, her uncle invited the victim into his bedroom to play video games. Once she was inside his room, he sexually abused her, and told her that if she told anyone what happened, he would do the same thing to her little sister. The sexual abuse continued until the victim and her family moved out of the house in November 2020. Two years later, she told a family member.

The Suffolk County Police Department then initiated an investigation which led to the man's arrest in October 2022.

He was found guilty after a jury trial heard before County Court Judge Karen M. Wilutis, on charges of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, a felony; and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. He is due back in court for sentencing on Jan. 23, and he faces up to 25 years in prison.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Renee Pardo and Tara Laterza of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau, with investigative assistance from Detective Adolfo Berrios of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Special Victims Section.