FLANDERS, NY — A Flanders man, 33, was sentenced to 15 years in prison Tuesday after he tried to rape his 9-year-old niece, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.
The Prosecutor's Office is not naming the accused to protect the identity of the child.
The man was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years of post-release supervision after a jury found him guilty of first-degree attempted rape, Tierney said. He sexually abused the girl while her parents were outside the family home, Tierney said.
According to evidence presented at trial, on Dec. 19, 2021, the child was left sleeping at her home while her parents took the family dog to the vet, Tierney said. The child's uncle, the accused, rented a room in the same house where she and her family lived, she said.
While the girl's parents were outside the home, he entered the child's room and asked if she wanted her back scratched, Tierney said. When the child responded that he did, the defendant led the child into his bedroom and, after briefly scratching his back, began sexually assaulting him, Tierney said.
When the child's parents arrived home a short time later, she told them what the defendant had done, the DA said.
She was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center, where she underwent a medical examination for sexual assault. Her underwear was collected and tested, revealing the presence of the defendant's DNA, Tierney said.
He was then arrested by the Southampton Police Department, the DA said. On Jan. 23, the defendant was found guilty after a jury trial before Superior Court Judge Timothy Mazzei of the following charges, Tierney said:
- Attempted rape in the first degree, a Class C violent felony.
- Sexual assault in the first degree, a class D violent felony, and
- Endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor.
“Today's sentence means justice for a family whose trust was violated by the defendant,” Tierney said. “Suffolk County is safer with this sexual predator removed from our community.”
He will also have to register as a sex offender after his release, the DA said.
He was represented by lawyer Christian Killoran. “We're obviously disappointed with the verdict,” Killoran told Patch. “My client has maintained his innocence since he was charged. We felt the evidence supported his innocence and provided plenty of reasonable doubt. In any case, we hope that the families affected can begin to heal from the cracks created by the deposition of categories.”
