SEX OFFENDER ARRESTED IN RAPE OF 71 YEAR OLD WOMEN AFTER POLICE SEARCH OF MEGAN'S LAW REGISTRY.

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the arrest of a 30 year old Queens man on charges of raping and sodomizing a 71 year old resident of the Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City last Sunday night.

District Attorney Brown said, "This defendant probably would never have been apprehended but for the provisions of Megan's Law. Megan's Law became effective in January of 1996 and mandates the registration of convicted sex offenders. This defendant pled guilty in 1986 to the rape of a 74-year old woman here in Queens County. He was sentenced to 15 years in jail and was released in April, 1997. Under the provisions of Megan's Law a hearing was held in State Supreme Court just before he was released and he was registered as a sex offender. When the victim in this case identified her attacker as a man by the name of "James", the special victims detectives -- and they are to be commended for the professionalism in their handling of this case -- immediately ran the name and the location of the crime through the Police Department's sex offender monitoring unit. They came up with two hits of an individual named "James" who lived in the 114th Pct. who had been registered under Megan's Law. Based on those hits, an identification of this defendant was made and he was arrested. This case is proof positive that Megan's Law works."

District Attorney Brown also pointed out that, "During this past Legislative Session, "Jenna's Law" was enacted. As a result, in the event of this defendant's conviction, he will never again see the light of day. He is charged with various counts of rape, sodomy, burglary and sexual abuse. Under Jenna's Law he can get 25 years for the rape, 25 years for the sodomy, 25 years for the burglary, and 21 years on the sexual abuse charges -- all to run consecutively. That is to say he can serve 96 years in prison for that which he is alleged to have done this case. And in the event of his conviction, that would be only fitting."

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as James Singleton, 30, of 41-09 Vernon Boulevard, a building located within the Queensbridge Houses development where the crime took place.

According to the District Attorney, the defendant is alleged to have approached the victim as she was entering her apartment in the Queensbridge Houses on Sunday, October 18 at about 8:30 pm. As she opened her door she was pushed into her apartment. Once inside her attacker told her that he would kill her unless she did what he wanted her to do and that he wanted to have sex with her. The victim refused and the defendant then allegedly raped and sodomized her.

The defendant was arrested Monday night at his residence and will be arraigned today in Queens Criminal Court.

Assistant District Attorney Marjory D. Fisher who is in charge of the District Attorneys Special Victims Bureau, which is under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Gregory L. Lasak, is in charge of the prosecution.

It should be noted that an arrest is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.