MONTICELLO – A Sullivan County Court jury convicted a Liberty man of felony course of sexual conduct against a child following a weeklong trial before Judge Michael McGuire.
The jury found that between January 2017 and May 2018 Saul Baez, 30, committed several acts of sexual conduct against a 10-year-old girl.
Baez was arrested by the Sullivan County Family Violence Response Team, a multidisciplinary team comprised of members of the Department of Family Services, State Police and District Attorney’s Office.
The team was formed in the wake of the murder of toddler Christopher Gardner in 1998 and investigates serious cases of child abuse in Sullivan County.
When sentenced in March 2020, Baez faces up to seven years in state prison followed by 10 years of post-release supervision.
The jury trial concluded on Wednesday, December 18.
“This young girl displayed tremendous courage in coming forward to confront her abuser and her bravery should empower victims of similar crimes to come forward,” said Chief Assistant District Attorney Meagan Galligan. “The sexual assault of a child is a heinous act and my office and our law enforcement partners will continue to investigate, arrest and prosecute those who perpetrate such abuses.”
She said the jury’s “dedication to this case and the verdict reached should send a powerful message, that the victims of these kinds of crimes will be heard and we will seek justice on their behalf.”
