Orange County man found guilty of child sexual abuse

NEW CITY – An Orange County man was found guilty on Wednesday of sexually abusing a boy several times over the course of three years.

Patrick Crowe, 36, of Middletown, New York, was found guilty on charges of predatory sexual assault of a child, a class A felony and sexual conduct against a child in the second degree, a class B felony. He was also convicted of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor.

Prosecutors with the DA’s Special Victim’s Unit made the case that Crowe repeatedly preyed on the boy between January 2010 and August 2012, beginning when the boy was eight-years-old. Crowe was known to the victim prior to the abuse.

The boy, who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, was qualified by Judge Rolf Thorsen as a vulnerable victim at the request of the Special Victims’ Unit. As a result, he was allowed to testify outside of the courtroom via a live video feed which was displayed on a closed circuit television in court.

According to District Attorney Thomas Zugibe, much of the proscution’s case hinged on successful testimony from the victim.

“The defendant might have escaped punishment for his depraved acts had his young victim not bravely testified about his attacker’s abusive and manipulative behavior,” Zugibe said. “The jury has spoken and the defendant now faces a considerable prison sentence. Sadly, the consequences of such molestation of the victim are profound and may result in emotional trauma from which he may never fully recover.”

Crowe, who is being held at the Rockland County Jail without bail, faces 25 years to life in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for June 2, 2015.