CANTON, New York (WWNY) – After a week-long trial, a St. Lawrence County jury has convicted a 55-year-old Ogdensburg man on sexual abuse charges.
The panel found William Laflair guilty of four counts of first-degree sexual abuse and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
According to the verdict, Laflair abused a child for more than five years, beginning when the child was under the age of five. He also sent the survivor sexually explicit messages after the physical abuse had ended.
He faces 28 years in prison when he’s sentenced on July 20.
“I want to commend the survivor of these horrific crimes for having the courage to come forward and report to law enforcement what was happening,” District Attorney Gary Pasqua said in a news release. “The bravery they had to confront their abuser in open court to make sure he was held accountable for what he did is remarkable. I expect that this defendant will never have the opportunity to abuse another person in our community following his sentencing thanks to this survivor.”
The Ogdensburg Police Department arrested Laflair last July.
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