(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced Edil Hernandez-Sevilla was sentenced to 40 years in prison on two counts of Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the First Degree, two counts of Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the Second Degree, and two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
“This defendant sexually abused two defenseless children and as is often the scenario with these types of cases, the proof at trial consisted solely on the testimony of these two young and very brave victims,” said Tierney. “Nevertheless, the jury found the truth and held this defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Thanks to the professionalism and effectiveness of the prosecutors and detectives leading this case, he is going to spend many years in prison and he’s going to be monitored for years after he serves his significant sentence.”
Hernandez-Sevilla, 39, was arrested on February 24, 2021 after one of the victims, a biological relative, disclosed the abuse to her guidance counselor. The evidence at trial established that the victims, now 12 and 13-years-old, were between 6 to 9-years-old and 7 to 10-years-old at the time of the abuse.
In December 2020, the older victim disclosed the abuse to her guidance counselor, which led to an investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department, culminating in his arrest. The abuse occurred when they were living together in the same home and ended, approximately, when they no longer lived in the same residence.
Hernandez-Sevilla was convicted on March 30, 2022 after a trial heard before Suffolk County Court Judge Karen Wilutis.
Judge Wilutis sentenced Hernandez-Sevilla as follows:
On each of the two counts of Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the First Degree (“B” violent felonies), the defendant was sentence to 20 years in prison with 20 years of post-release supervision to be served consecutively for an aggregate sentence of 40 years in prison with 40 years of post-release supervision.
On each of the two counts of Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the Second Degree (“D” violent felonies), the defendant was sentenced to 7 years with 10 years post release supervision to run concurrently.
On each of the two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (“A” misdemeanors), the defendant was sentenced to 364 days to run concurrently.
The trial lasted about a week and half and the defendant was represented by Chris Gioe.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tara Laterza and Assistant District Attorney Katherine Flinchum of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau.