Bedford Hills Man Sentenced To Prison For Child Sex Abuse

BEDFORD HILLS, NY — A Westchester man who was accused of child sex abuse was sentenced to state prison Friday.

Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino Jr. said Julio Cortez, 41, of Bedford Hills, was sentenced by State Supreme Court Justice Barry Warhit to 12 years in prison with 15 years' post-release supervision.

After he gets out, Cortez will have to register as a sex offender.

He pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual conduct, a felony, in October.

Police said, on Oct. 7, 2018, the Bedford Police Department got a call from a teenage girl who said her classmate was being sexually abused.

The teenager said she had been on a FaceTime video chat with her classmate and saw an adult, who wasn't part of the girl's family, in the same room.

Later, when the teen asked who the man was, the victim told her he was a neighbor who had been sexually abusing her for years when her parents weren't home.

Authorities said the victim was eventually interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center. Cortez was interviewed by police, and they said he admitted the sexual relationship.

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