MINEOLA, NY — It began when the child was just four years old and attending pre-K — now, a Port Washington man has been sentenced to 20 years in state prison for subjecting her to abuse over the course of five years.
The 59-year-old defendant was found guilty on March 4 of Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the First Degree, a class B felony, following a jury trial in Nassau County. He was sentenced Thursday by Judge Christopher Quinn.
Prosecutors said the victim had been in the care of the defendant’s household beginning in infancy. The defendant’s wife was the child’s babysitter, and the offenses began when the child was left in the home under supervision in 2014. The conduct continued until the child was approximately nine years old.
The case came to light when the victim, now a teenager, disclosed what happened to a school guidance counselor at the age of 12. The Nassau County Police Department’s Special Victims Squad launched an investigation and arrested the defendant at his Port Washington home on June 15, 2023.
District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said the victim was harmed in a setting where she should have felt safe and supported. The DA’s office credited the young person for coming forward and said the sentence ensures accountability and community protection.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Melissa Salsone of the Special Victims Bureau under the supervision of Bureau Chief Emma Slane and Executive Assistant District Attorney Kevin Higgins. The defendant was represented by Dennis Lemke, Esq.
Key Points
- A 59-year-old Port Washington man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a first-degree felony involving a child.
- The abuse occurred at the defendant’s home between 2014 and 2019 while the child was under supervision.
- The victim disclosed the conduct at age 12, leading to the defendant’s arrest in June 2023.
