Patchogue Man Found Guilty In Rape Of Daughter, 5, And Half-Sister, 15: DA

RIVERSIDE, NY — A 38-year-old Patchogue man was found guilty of rape after a jury trial for sexually abusing his daughter when she was between the ages of five and 13, and his younger half- sister when she was 15 years old, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said Monday.

The man has not been named to protect the identities of the child victims.

He is due back in court on Jan. 7 for sentencing and faces up to 89 years in prison.

Patch has reached out to his defense attorney, John Halverson of Patchogue.

In September 2013, the defendant began to sexually abuse his daughter when she was just a five-year-old kindergartener, and the abuse continued for several years, with him telling her not to tell anyone about it because doing so would ruin their family, prosecutors said.

The last incident occurred right before the victim’s 14th birthday when he climbed into her bed, raped her, and told her to be quiet when she said she was going to tell her mother, according to prosecutors.

On Aug. 29, 2021, he also sexually abused a second victim, his then 15-year-old half-sister, who was spending the night at his house after having come from Manhattan with their father for a visit, prosecutors said, adding that while she slept on an air mattress, he crawled in next to her and held her body in a leg lock to keep her from moving as he pulled off her clothing and raped her.

When the teen reported the incident to the police, and an investigation began, his daughter gained the courage to come forward about the abuse that she had endured for years, resulting in the defendant being charged for his conduct toward both children, according to prosecutors.

Tierney said the defendant "betrayed the trust of two children in the most heinous way possible, exploiting his position as a family member to commit unspeakable acts of violence."

“I commend the tremendous courage of the survivors in coming forward to testify," he said. "Their
bravery has ensured that this predator will be held accountable and will no longer harm them or
other children.”

Altogether, the charges included two counts of first-degree rape, and one count each of first-degree criminal sexual act, second-and third-degree rape, and second-degree sexual abuse, the DA said. He additionally faces five counts of first-degree sexual abuse and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, the DA said.