Monticello man could face 10-year sentence for first-degree child sex conduct

GOSHEN - A Monticello man pleaded guilty Tuesday in Orange County Court to having sexual contact with a child on more than one occasion.

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler announced Wednesday that Anthony Villegas, 48, of Monticello pleaded guilty to first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, a felony.

At the plea proceedings, Villegas admitted that between June 2010 and April 2011, at which time he was 18 years of age or older, he engaged in two or more acts of sexual conduct, including at least one act of sexual intercourse, with a child who was less than 13 years old, over a period of time not less than three months in duration.

"Children are our most innocent and vulnerable victims," Hoovler said in a statement released by his office. "Adults who choose to violate children for their own sexual gratification deserve lengthy prison sentences. These cases are challenging for the victims and for the law enforcement officers tasked with investigating the crimes."

Villegas was represented by the Legal Aid Society of Orange County. A representative of that office could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Hoovler said that when Villegas is sentenced on Nov. 7, the people will recommend that he be sentenced to 10 years in state prison, to be followed by 10 years of post-release supervision.

However, Hoovler's news release noted that under the plea agreement announced on the record at the time that Villegas pleaded guilty, the court agreed to cap his sentence exposure to nine years in prison, followed by 10 years of post-release supervision.

As part of the sentence, Villegas also will be registered as a sex offender.

Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record and the Poughkeepsie Journal. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com.

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Monticello man could face 10-year sentence for first-degree child sex conduct