LOCKPORT – A Niagara County Court jury today convicted runaway defendant Paul S. Turley of sexually molesting two girls in North Tonawanda between August 1996 and June 1998.
The jury deliberated 2 1/2 hours before finding Turley, who went missing Wednesday, guilty of first- and second-degree course of sexual conduct against a child and first-degree sexual abuse.
Turley, 47, of Lincoln Avenue, Dunkirk, left the Niagara County Courthouse at the lunch break Wednesday, just after jury selection was completed, and has not been seen or heard from since that afternoon, when he told defense attorney D. Daniel Stevanovic that he was in the parking lot of a Tim Hortons. He didn’t say which one.
Since then, his wife Diane also has disappeared, and the family dogs are no longer in their home.
Judge Sara Sheldon Farkas ordered the forfeiture of a $50,000 bail bond, posted by Turley’s mother a few days after his arrest Jan. 4, 2012.
The victims in the case, both now 21 years old, told police in November 2011 that they had been repeatedly fondled by Turley when they were 5 to 7 years old.
One of the women said she was fondled again by Turley on Christmas Day 2003, when she was 12.
Turley faces a maximum of 39 years in state prison when he is sentenced April 19. He will be sentenced in absentia if he is not found by then.
If he is located, Turley will be held without bail.
“He can run from a lot of things. He can’t run from the verdict and he can’t run from the kind of person he is,” Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth R. Donatello said.
In his summation this morning, Stevanovic did not specifically ask the jury to acquit his client. He spoke of “a fair and open review of the evidence to reach a verdict that will be fair and just.”
Assistant District Attorney Cheryl L. Nichols told the jury to put its trust in the victim’s testimony.
“Some secrets aren’t meant to be kept. Some secrets are meant to be shared with the world,” Nichols said.
She said the women didn’t have any motive to lie.
“There’s nothing easy about coming into a courtroom and telling a group of strangers about the deepest secret in your life,” Nichols said.
The prosecution played a recording of a Dec. 19, 2011, phone call placed to Turley by one of the victims, which pertained primarily to her own situation.
During the call, Turley said, “All I can tell you is, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you, ever.”
The victim tried to bring the other victim’s situation into the conversation, but Turley denied any contact with her. “An opportunity like that would never come up,” he said on the recording.
But as for the first victim, Turley said, “In my misguided mind, the things we were doing were not bad.”
email: tprohaska@buffnews.com
The jury deliberated 2 1/2 hours before finding Turley, who went missing Wednesday, guilty of first- and second-degree course of sexual conduct against a child and first-degree sexual abuse.
Turley, 47, of Lincoln Avenue, Dunkirk, left the Niagara County Courthouse at the lunch break Wednesday, just after jury selection was completed, and has not been seen or heard from since that afternoon, when he told defense attorney D. Daniel Stevanovic that he was in the parking lot of a Tim Hortons. He didn’t say which one.
Since then, his wife Diane also has disappeared, and the family dogs are no longer in their home.
Judge Sara Sheldon Farkas ordered the forfeiture of a $50,000 bail bond, posted by Turley’s mother a few days after his arrest Jan. 4, 2012.
The victims in the case, both now 21 years old, told police in November 2011 that they had been repeatedly fondled by Turley when they were 5 to 7 years old.
One of the women said she was fondled again by Turley on Christmas Day 2003, when she was 12.
Turley faces a maximum of 39 years in state prison when he is sentenced April 19. He will be sentenced in absentia if he is not found by then.
If he is located, Turley will be held without bail.
“He can run from a lot of things. He can’t run from the verdict and he can’t run from the kind of person he is,” Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth R. Donatello said.
In his summation this morning, Stevanovic did not specifically ask the jury to acquit his client. He spoke of “a fair and open review of the evidence to reach a verdict that will be fair and just.”
Assistant District Attorney Cheryl L. Nichols told the jury to put its trust in the victim’s testimony.
“Some secrets aren’t meant to be kept. Some secrets are meant to be shared with the world,” Nichols said.
She said the women didn’t have any motive to lie.
“There’s nothing easy about coming into a courtroom and telling a group of strangers about the deepest secret in your life,” Nichols said.
The prosecution played a recording of a Dec. 19, 2011, phone call placed to Turley by one of the victims, which pertained primarily to her own situation.
During the call, Turley said, “All I can tell you is, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you, ever.”
The victim tried to bring the other victim’s situation into the conversation, but Turley denied any contact with her. “An opportunity like that would never come up,” he said on the recording.
But as for the first victim, Turley said, “In my misguided mind, the things we were doing were not bad.”
email: tprohaska@buffnews.com