GOSHEN – A Port Jervis man was sentenced by Orange County Court Judge Craig Stephen Brown to 18 to 21 years in state prison for the September 17, 2018 attempted rape of a prostitute in Port Jervis.
On May 9, 2019, a trial jury convicted Lionel Williams, 44, of attempted rape and two counts of tampering with physical evidence.
It was alleged that Williams sent a text message to a Port Jervis prostitute arranging to meet her on West Main Street for a sexual encounter. Before the time for the encounter arrived, he texted her again, cancelling the arrangement, but showed up shortly after midnight and followed the woman for several blocks without her knowing it.
He then allegedly grabbed her from behind, dragged her down an embankment near the Delaware River, and attempted to rape her. He fled the scene, deleted his text messages to her and disposed of the clothing he had been wearing at the time of the crime.
“The community will be safer during the two decades that this predator will be in prison,” said District Attorney David Hoovler. “Now woman, man, or child should ever be forced to endure being the victim of a sex crime.”
