A 67-year-old Long Island man was sentenced Friday to 23 years incarceration for sexually abusing his great niece over the course of nearly five years, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Prosecutors say the defendant — whose name has not released to protect the identity of his victim — first assaulted the girl in the bathroom of a restaurant where she was celebrating her kindergarten graduation in June 2015. He continued sexually abusing his great niece in his home until May 2020.
The girl’s mother only learned of the abuse in 2022 when her daughter, then 12 years old, talked about it while discussing feelings of depression. Her mother reported the claims to Suffolk County Police who quickly made an arrest.
Last month, the defendant was convicted on multiple counts, including course of sexual conduct against a child in the first degree, a Class B violent felony.
“Sexual abuse has devastating and lifelong effects on anyone who is a victim of it, especially innocent children,” District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said in a statement. “I hope that the significant prison sentence imposed today is a deterrent to anyone who may want to prey on children.”
In addition to his prison term, the defendant was sentenced to 20 years post-release supervision and must register as a sex offender.