KINGSTON – A Melville woman pled guilty in Ulster County Court on Friday, February 5 to a felony charge of aggravated harassment as a hate crime.
Krista Sewell entered the plea before Judge Bryan Rounds admitting that she sent electronic messages and a letter to an Ulster County family harassing and threatening their infant daughter who has the rare genetic skin condition harlequin ichthyosis.
Sewell was arrested in late 2019 following a lengthy investigation by State Police and the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office.
Sewell, who had no prior criminal record, was sentenced to five years of probation along with a period of incarceration.
As part of the sentence, the court ordered that Sewell have no contact with the child, her family or any other individuals with that condition, and ordered that she register her social media accounts with the probation department to monitor her online activity to prevent future harassing behavior.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Timothy Lawson.
