After a missing child was found, officers discovered he had been raped by his babysitter.
On Thursday, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office announced that an Ulster County man was convicted of multiple counts of rape.
The Ulster County District Attorney’s Office announces the jury conviction of the Highland, New York man
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Charles Burgher, 32, of Highland, NY, was convicted of five counts of second-degree rape and three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct following a four-day trial.
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“This case highlights the commendable cooperation of multiple law enforcement agencies in Ulster County. The Ulster City Police Department arrested the defendant just in time as he had planned to flee to New York City with the child the next morning to start a new life with her. “We thank the jury for considering the facts and evidence in this case,” said Assistant District Attorney Nicholas LaStella.
Babysitter from Ulster County, New York, raped child
Ulster County District Attorney’s Office
Ulster County District Attorney’s Office
The jury concluded that Burgher had raped a victim as a child. The two were neighbors in Highland, New York, for most of 2022, and Burgher often watched his neighbors’ four children, including the victim.
Burgher raped the child between August 2022 and November 7, 2022.
Child missing and found at Lake Katrine motel
On Monday, November 7, 2022, the victim’s mother filed a missing person report with the Lloyd Town Police Department when she did not return home from school.
An investigation led law enforcement officers to the 9W Motel in Lake Katrine, where the child was safely recovered.
She was taken to the hospital, where a sexual assault nurse examiner collected forensic evidence that secured this prosecution and conviction, officials say.
Arrested after a long standoff at the Town of Ulster Motel
Burgher was arrested after a five-and-a-half-hour standoff with law enforcement at the 9W Motel in the town of Ulster.
He eventually turned himself in to authorities as the Kingston-Ulster emergency services unit was about to force its way into the room, officials note.
“The minor victim showed great courage when she appeared as a witness and testified in detail about the defendant’s repeated sexual assaults against her. Sexual crimes against children will not be tolerated in our community,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Culmone-Mills.
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It’s unclear how many years he could be sentenced, but officials say he “faces a lengthy term in state prison at the time of his sentencing.”
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