Emil Best, a repeat offender, faces up to 25 years in prison
MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Long Beach man was convicted yesterday afternoon for repeatedly sexually abusing an eight-year old child after a trial that last three days.
Emil Best, 39, was convicted by a Nassau jury in 35 minutes of two counts of Criminal Sexual Act in the 1st Degree (a B violent felony), three counts of Sexual Abuse in the 1st Degree (a D violent felony) and one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (an A misdemeanor).
The defendant is due back in court on Jan. 25 before Supreme Court Justice Angelo Delligatti. He faces 10 to 25 years in prison on the top count.
“The defendant – throughout his entire adult life – has shown a callous disregard for the dignity and well-being of defenseless children,” Acting DA Singas said. “Robbing a child of his or her innocence is particularly disturbing and our prosecutors will be recommending that he be sentenced to 25 years in prison, the maximum time allowable by law.”
Acting DA Singas said that the defendant, starting in the fall of 2005 and into the spring of 2006, repeatedly abused the victim, an eight-year old child. The victim reported the abuse for the first time to authorities in 2012 and Best was arrested by Long Beach Police Department detectives on July 30, 2013. The defendant is already a level 2 sex offender for a January 2000 conviction for Attempted Sexual Abuse in the 1st Degree for a case involving a nine-year old and has a conviction from December 2008 for Endangering the Welfare of a Child for a case with a 12-year old.
He is a prior violent felony offender as he was convicted in July 2010 of Assault in the 2nd Degree for assaulting a Nassau County Corrections Officer.
Assistant District Attorney Melissa Scannell is prosecuting the case for Acting DA Singas’ Special Victims Bureau. Best is represented by Jeff Groder, Esq.