FORMER NEW YORK CITY POLICE OFFICER SENTENCED TO 4 TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON FOR STATUTORY RAPE AND SODOMY OF 12 YEAR-OLD GIRL

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the sentencing of a former police officer on statutory rape and sodomy charges for engaging in sexual conduct with a 12 year-old girl.

District Attorney Brown said that the defendant, Harry Velasquez, 27, of 87-86 116th Street, Jamaica, was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison by Supreme Court Justice Richard Buchter. Velasquez was convicted of one count of rape in the second degree, two counts of sodomy in the second degree, one count of sexual abuse in the second degree and endangering the welfare of a child.

According to the testimony at trial, in the Spring of 1996 the girl's father approached the defendant, who was a friend of his, and asked him to help his daughter and become a role model for her. It was testified that shortly after he was introduced to the girl, the defendant began talking to her about sex. In July 1996, having gained the girl's trust, the defendant engaged her in sexual activities. During the summer of 1997, the child told her mother what had transpired and her mother confronted the defendant's wife. The defendant, who was assigned to the Housing Division and worked in Brooklyn, told his union delegate about the allegations and an investigation was begun. The defendant was arrested on August 14.

Assistant District Attorney Carmencita Gutierrez of the District Attorney's Special Victims Bureau, which is under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Marjory Fisher, was in charge of the prosecution.