LI Man Pleads Guilty To Raping Stepdaughter, 7, For 10 Years: DA

CENTER MORICHES, NY — A Center Moriches man pleaded guilty Thursday to repeatedly raping his stepdaughter for 10 years, beginning when she was just seven years old, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

The District Attorney’s Office is not naming the defendant, 36, in order to protect the identity of the girl.

He was arrested after the girl and her mother devised a plan to catch him "in the act," the DA said.

He pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree course of sexual conduct, the DA said.

According to court documents and the man's admissions during his guilty plea allocution, sometime between 2014 and May 2023, the man raped his stepdaughter on a regular basis, starting when she was seven years old. The abuse continued for years; he physically forced himself upon the child as she fought back, the DA said.

As time went by, his abuse escalated to include anal sexual conduct against the child, the DA said.

He also sent the victim obscene images of himself and demanded that the girl send images of herself to him; in order to obtain the illicit images, he threatened to subject her to more frequent anal sexual conduct, Tienrey said.

In May of 2023, the girl begged her mother not to leave her alone with him — and when her mother asked why, she told her mother what he had been doing to her, Tierney said.

Upon learning this information, the girl and her mother formed a plan to catch the man in
the act, Tierney said.

The girl’s mother pretended to leave for work, and when she returned minutes later, through a side door she had left unlocked, she found the man completely nude, standing over the girl, attempting to rape her yet again, Tierney said.

The girl's mother then stopped him from completing the act; the girl reported the abuse to the police shortly thereafter, and he was later arrested, the DA said.

On June 20, he pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis to first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, a violent felony, Tierney said.

He is due back in court on July 29 for sentencing, where he is expected to be sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by 20 years of post-release supervision, the DA said.

He is being represented by James DeAngelo, who was not immediately available for comment.

"This guilty plea represents a significant step towards justice for the victim, who has shown remarkable courage throughout this process," Tierney said. "The defendant’s admission of guilt after years of abusing his position of trust as a stepfather underscores the importance of supporting survivor and believing their voices. We commend the victim’s bravery in coming forward to her mother after enduring a decade of abuse. Our office remains committed to vigorously prosecuting these cases and providing unwavering support to survivors of sexual abuse."