West Babylon Man Convicted Of Sexually Abusing Child Family Friend: DA

WEST BABYLON, NY— A Suffolk County jury convicted a 29-year-old West Babylon man of repeatedly sexually abusing a child family friend over the course of several years, prosecutors said Friday.

The man, whose name was withheld by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office to protect the identity of the victim, was found guilty of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child and endangering the welfare of a child, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

According to prosecutors, the abuse began during the COVID-19 shutdown when the man, described as a close family friend whom the girl viewed as an “uncle” figure, held Zoom calls with the victim while she was 9 years old. During those calls, prosecutors said the man showed the child pornographic images and videos while touching himself.

Beginning in March 2022, the victim’s mother regularly brought the girl to the man’s home so he could babysit her while the mother worked, prosecutors said. During those visits, the man sexually abused the child.

Prosecutors said the victim, who was 12 at the time, learned through school presentations and online research in April 2023 that the conduct was wrong. She confronted the man and told him to stop touching her, and the abuse ended, according to the DA’s office.

Several months later, in February 2024, the victim disclosed the abuse to her mother after experiencing anxiety and panic attacks related to keeping the abuse secret, prosecutors said.

The jury returned the guilty verdict on Friday following a trial before Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei.

The defendant faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 24, prosecutors said.

He is represented by attorney Christopher Gioe, who was not immediately available for comment.

“As a close family friend, this defendant exploited the trust of a child, and the trust of the child’s mother to satisfy his predatory sexual perversion,” Tierney said. “This conviction is a testament to the courage of this young survivor, who found her own voice and put a stop to the abuse.”