‘Reprehensible’: LI Father Sexually Abused His 8-Year-Old Daughter, DA Says

BAY SHORE, N.Y. — A Bay Shore man has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for repeatedly sexually abusing his 8-year-old daughter over the course of a year, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said Wednesday.

The defendant, 33, was found guilty at trial in October, Tierney said.

The DA’s Office is withholding his name to protect the identity of the child victim.

According to prosecutors, the abuse occurred between October 2021 and November 2022, during the period when the child lived with her mother and father on an alternating weekly schedule. The DA said the defendant sexually abused his daughter during the weeks she spent with him and threatened to beat her if she ever disclosed what he was doing.

Prosecutors said the child’s mother noticed in the fall of 2022 that her daughter had become extremely anxious before visits with her father. In November 2022, the girl disclosed the abuse, the DA said. The mother immediately reported the information to the police, and the defendant was arrested on November 8, 2022, Tierney said.

A jury convicted the defendant on Oct. 10, after a trial before Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei, the DA said.

He was found guilty of course of sexual conduct against a child in the first degree, a class B violent felony; incest in the first degree, also a class B violent felony; and endangering the welfare of a child, a class A misdemeanor, Tierney said.

Following the verdict, the defendant was remanded to custody. On Nov. 26, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison, followed by 20 years of post-release supervision. He was represented by George Duncan, who said his client “maintains his innocence and is vigorously pursuing all avenues of his appeal.”

“Today, justice has been served, not only for the victim, but for all children in our community who deserve to feel safe,” Tierney said in a statement. “The defendant’s actions were reprehensible, and the sentence reflects the gravity of the harm done to an innocent child. Our priority will always be to protect our most vulnerable and to ensure that those who commit such heinous acts face the consequences of their actions.”