LI Man Convicted Of Raping Young Girl For 5 Years: DA

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — A Central Islip man was convicted on Monday of raping and sexually abusing a young girl for five years starting when she was 10 years old, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini. Byron Cisneros, 47, was convicted by a jury for first degree course of sexual conduct against a child, third degree rape, three counts of third degree criminal sexual act, endangering the welfare of a child and second degree menacing.

An investigation by the DA’s Office and the Suffolk County Police revealed that Cisneros had sexually abused and raped the girl starting when she was 10 until she was 15 years old. Cisneros sexually abused the girl, who was previously known to him, at her home, in his car, and in various motels in Suffolk County.

The girl told a family member about the sexual abuse and it was reported to the Suffolk County Police Department on May 27, 2019. Cisneros fled Suffolk County, but was found with help from the U.S. Marshals Service and apprehended on May 31, 2019, while waiting for a bus at a bus station in Charlotte, North Carolina. Opening statements in the trial occurred on March 12. The jury deliberated for five and a half hours before delivering a verdict of guilty on all counts on March 20.

"Even under normal circumstances, trials involving rape or sexual abuse are always among the most difficult," Sini said. "This trial presented unprecedented challenges in light of the Coronavirus pandemic, but Assistant District Attorneys Dana Castaldo and Crystal Igneri persevered."

The trial was the last jury trial in Suffolk to conclude following an administrative order issued by the county’s Chief Administrative Judge on March 16 postponing all upcoming criminal trials due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The final witness in the trial, an analyst from the Suffolk County crime laboratory, testified via Skype video conferencing.

Cisneros is scheduled to be sentenced by Suffolk County Acting Supreme Court Justice Chris Ann Kelley on April 27. He faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 29 years in prison.