Amityville Man Found Guilty Of Sexually Abusing Niece For 3 Years: DA

AMITYVILLE, NY — An Amityville man was found guilty of sexually abusing his niece over the course of three years, beginning when she was 9-years-old, prosecutors announced Thursday.

The 42-year-old man was convicted after a jury trial on charges of course of second-degree sexual conduct against a child, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said.

Prosecutors did not name the man in order to protect the child's identity.

During family visits between 2013 and 2016, while the child was between ages 9 and 12, the man repeatedly groped and sexually abused her, according to evidence established at trial. The man told her multiple times not to tell anyone, saying it would ruin the family, prosecutors said.

“For years, this defendant used his familial connection to gain access to the victim, his niece, in order to satisfy his own sexual desires,” said Tierney. “My office will continue to prosecute sexual predators such as this defendant, and seek justice for victims of abuse, especially children.”

When the child was 16 years old, after struggling for years with the impact of the abuse, she told her mother, and later, the police.

The man was arrested in January 2021. He is due back in court on Sept. 14 for sentencing and faces up to seven years in prison.

Matt Touhy, the man's attorney, said that he was "disappointed by the verdict" and that his client is "maintaining his innocence."