FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: MAY 11, 2016
RE: PRESS RELEASE - DISTRICT ATTORNEY D. HOLLEY CARNRIGHT ANNOUNCES: MARLBOROUGH
MAN RECEIVES 18 YEARS FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF TWO CHILDREN
Calling the defendant Alan Edwards, 62, of 245 Mount
Zion Road in Marlborough, a sexual deviant, County Court Judge Donald A.
Williams sentenced Edwards Wednesday to eighteen years in state prison to be
followed by twenty years of post-release supervision. Edwards pled guilty on March 2, 2016, to the
Class B violent felony offense of Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in
the First Degree.
Edwards admitted that between October 1, 2014 and
October 3, 2015, he engaged in multiple acts of sexual conduct, including oral
sexual conduct, with a child less than eleven years old. All acts of sexual conduct occurred at his
home. This plea was in satisfaction of
additional charges involving an isolated incident of sexual abuse with another
child under the age of eleven at his home.
Edwards was arrested in October 7, 2015, following an investigation
conducted by the Ulster County Family and Child Advocacy Center.
A statement from the family of the victim of the course
of conduct was read at sentencing by Katherine R. Van Loan, Bureau Chief of the
Special Victims’ Unit at the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office. The letter detailed how years of trust the
defendant built with the victim and the victim’s family was shattered by the
defendant’s despicable conduct. It also
discussed the effects of prolonged sexual abuse on a “spunky” and “happy go
lucky” child. Both the letter and
comments made by the mother of the second victim, lauded the bravery of these
children for coming forward, noting that he “sealed his fate” when he selected
the wrong child to molest.
District Attorney Carnright also praised the child
victims for coming forward to the report the abuse. “The statistics are clear that only a
fraction of child sexual abuse victims ever come forward. While the choice or ability to disclose is
unique to each victim, their testimony is often necessary to hold these
pedophiles accountable for their perverse actions.” Carnright noted that these emotional and
legally complex cases are exactly why the Ulster County Family and Child
Advocacy exists stating, “It is critical to have both law enforcement and
support services who are trained, experienced and regularly deal with these
types of sexually deviant offenders.”
The case was prosecuted by Katherine R. Van Loan,
Bureau Chief of the Special Victims’ Unit at the Ulster County District
Attorney’s Office. The defendant is
represented by Majer Gold, Esq. of the Ulster County Public Defender’s Office
