A man from New Jersey has been convicted of raping his 14-year-old relative near her Cape Cod residence in 2021, the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office reported on Tuesday.
Following a six-day trial and more than two hours of discussions, a jury from Barnstable County Superior Court convicted 46-year-old Cheldon Clare, a resident of Hasbrouk Heights, of aggravated child rape and two counts of indecent assault and battery on an individual aged 14 or older, the district attorney’s office stated in a press release.
On Monday, a judge imposed a sentence of 12 to 14 years in prison on Clare, along with five years of probation, according to the district attorney’s office. He is now required to register as a sex offender.
Investigators started looking into Clare after a relative—a 14-year-old girl—and her mother reported to Barnstable police on September 6, 2021, claiming that he had sexually assaulted the girl, according to the district attorney’s office.
The adolescent informed authorities that Clare had traveled from his residence in New Jersey to her residence in Hyannis on the morning of August 27, 2021, and sexually abused her in his vehicle.
Detectives acquired Clare’s phone records, showing that he had been grooming the girl for a month before the attack and that the phone was located near the girl’s residence on the day of the assault, according to the district attorney’s office. The teenager’s trousers also showed a positive result for Clare’s DNA.
“District Attorney Galibois recognizes the courage displayed by the young victim and the dedication of the officers to gather evidence in our quest for justice,” the statement says. “My office will keep supporting survivors and collaborate with our law enforcement partners to ensure offenders are held responsible.”
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