(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that a Bay Shore man*, 39, was found guilty of Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child, and related charges, after a jury trial for repeatedly sexually abusing his girlfriend’s daughter starting when the victim was just eight years old.
“Today’s verdict brings justice to a young victim who endured horrific trauma at the hands of the defendant,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Our thoughts remain with the victim and her family throughout this difficult journey, and we remain committed to ensuring that justice is served in every case of abuse.”
The evidence at trial established that in June 2020, when the victim was eight years old, the defendant, who was dating the victim’s mother at the time, began sexually abusing the child while the mother was at work. The abuse started when the victim asked the defendant to help her download a video game on her phone, and the defendant began to groom her by inviting her to sit on his lap to play a game on the television instead. Over time, the grooming turned to sexual abuse and escalated.
The victim did not tell anyone because she was fearful that no one would believe her. In December 2024, immediately after an act of sexual abuse by the defendant, the victim confided in one of her best friends after she felt she could not keep the secret any longer. Her friend, in turn, encouraged her to tell an adult. The victim then told her grandmother, who told the victim’s mother, who then called the police.
On March 23, 2026, the defendant was convicted after a jury trial heard before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis of the following charges:
· One count of Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony;
· Two counts of Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree, Class A misdemeanors; and
· One count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A misdemeanor.
The defendant is due back in court on April 23, 2026, for sentencing and faces up to 25 years in prison. He is represented by Matthew Tuohy, Esq.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Johanna Poremba of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detective Robert Cafiero of the Suffolk County Police Department Special Victims Section.
*The District Attorney’s Office is not naming the defendant to protect the identity of the child victim.