An Atlantic City attorney was convicted Friday in a case in which he was accused of sexual conduct with a girl for seven years, beginning when she was 10.
David Alcantara, 59, was previously acquitted in a similar case involving a 14-year-old girl.
But on Friday it took a jury only about an hour to convict him of endangering the welfare of a child by sexual conduct, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner said.
Before the latest trial, Alcantara told BreakingAC that he was looking forward to once again being cleared and accused the state of trumping up charges.
According to the charges, Alcantara began endangering the victim in 2005, when she was 10 years old, and it continued through 2012, when she told police about Alcantara's conduct.
The allegations by the other alleged victim had been reported the year before.
Alcantara would repeatedly engage in acts that included touching the child’s buttocks and repeatedly walking in on her in the shower, according to the evidence presented in court.
“The extent of the defendant’s sexual conduct directed at this young girl throughout this timeframe was extremely disturbing," said Chief Assistant Prosecutor John Flammer, who tried the case with Assistant Prosecutor Jake Bayak. "The victim who is now 22 is grateful for this verdict. We appreciate that these jurors were able to understand what this defendant did to this child.”
Upon the guilty verdict, Judge Bernard DeLury revoked Alcantara's bail, and sent him to the Atlantic County Justice Facility. His sentence is scheduled for Feb. 22. He faces as long as 10 years in prison and is subject to Megan's Law registration and lifetime parole supervision.
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