Guatemalan National Sentenced to 23 Years for Sexually Abusing Stepdaughter in Riverhead

A Suffolk County jury convicted a 40-year-old Guatemalan national in December 2025 of Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child, and Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis on Feb. 4, 2026 sentenced him to 23 years in state prison followed by 20 years of post-release supervision. Police withheld the defendant’s name to protect the identity of the juvenile victim.

Prosecutors say the abuse occurred repeatedly over roughly five years at a Riverhead residence, beginning when the victim was a young child. The victim and her mother moved to Riverhead in 2014 and lived in a single room in the house where the defendant also lived. Court filings and local prosecutors describe a family routine in which the mother left for work at about 3:30 a.m. six days a week and the defendant stayed in the home until roughly 5:30 a.m., a schedule prosecutors say allowed the pattern of abuse to continue unchecked.

The victim learned through a school presentation that what she was experiencing was wrong and disclosed the abuse to her mother and then to police in 2023. Southampton Town Police Department investigators, led by Detective Michael Algozzino, arrested the defendant on Oct. 19, 2023. Assistant District Attorneys Ashley Moruzzi and Sean Murphy of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau prosecuted the case with assistance from Investigator Robert Fichett. The defendant was represented by the Legal Aid Society at trial.

Lilifepolitics reports the jury returned a conviction on Dec. 17, 2025; the district attorney’s office and Shore News Network cited the December jury verdict generally. At sentencing, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said, "The jury’s verdict affirms that this defendant is a predator who exploited his access to an innocent child for years. We are committed to seeking maximum penalties for those who prey on children, and we will not rest until every victim receives justice."

The case also intersects with federal immigration enforcement. Authorities say the defendant was previously deported in 2006 and that DHS-ICE lodged a detainer; after the state sentence is served, the defendant will be transferred to federal custody for immigration review. That sequence underscores how long criminal terms and immigration proceedings can interact, and it may affect how and when federal agencies exercise custody over criminally convicted noncitizens in Suffolk County.

For Riverhead and surrounding communities, the conviction reinforces the role of schools and outreach in prompting disclosures and highlights the importance of coordinated investigations by local police and the county district attorney’s office. Families and community groups concerned about child safety may press local officials for more resources for prevention and victim services. The next procedural steps will include completion of the defendant’s state term, the federal immigration review, and potential follow-up by victim advocates and prosecutors to address the long-term needs of the victim.