Brewster Man Gets Maximum Sentence on Child Sex Abuse Charges
A former Brewster bus driver was handed down the maximum sentence allowed by law for two counts of felony sex abuse, according to the Putnam County District Attorney’s office.
Michael Cunningham, 68, will be jailed for 14 years followed by five years of post-release supervision, after he was arrested in July 2014 stemming from an investigation into the sexual abuse of a then 6-year-old child. He was convicted of two counts of sexual abuse in the first degree during a jury trial in May and was sentenced by Putnam County Supreme Court Judge James Rooney, according to the DA’s press release.
Prosecutors argued Cunningham worked to gain the trust of the child’s parents over a period of time, finally offering to babysit. ADA Danielle Pascale requested Rooney hit Cunningham with the maximum sentence because he groomed and manipulated the child before abusing her.
“This was a man we trusted, we opened our hearts, opened our home to him. We cared about him, and he hurt us in the worst possible way,” the child’s tearful mother said after sentencing, according to the press release. “No child, no family, should go through what we went through…Danielle (Pascale) and LuLu (Gonzalez) and the CAC (Child Advocacy Center) worked so hard and helped us. Very hard. Now he’s going to be in jail for a very long time and we don’t have to see him anymore. Never.”
DA Adam Levy praised Pascale, Gonzalez, and Putnam County Sheriff ’s Department investigator John Alfano in building the case, as well as the CAC, which ensured the family received services and counseling needed.
“The sexual abuse of an innocent child is a truly abhorrent crime, and this sentence will ensure Michael Cunningham does not have an opportunity to victimize any other families,” Levy said. “The child and her family should be commended for their bravery in working closely with us and seeing the prosecution through.”
Cunningham worked for a time as a bus driver in the Katonah-Lewisboro and Brewster schools systems before retiring in 2004. This case is not related to his work, according to the DA’s office. Parents whose children may have had contact with Cunningham are encouraged to contact Assistant District Attorney Danielle Pascale at 845-808-1050.
