An Endicott man who was convicted in January of engaging in sexual conduct with two children will most likely spend the rest of his life in prison.
Following a trial in Broome County Court, the jury found Howard C. Knapp, 48, of Endicott, guilty of two counts of predatory sexual assault against a child.
Knapp returned to court Tuesday, and Judge Joseph Cawley sentenced him to 50 years to life in state prison.
Between 2014 and 2017, in the Village of Endicott, Knapp engaged in a course of sexual conduct with two children who were less than 13 years old at the time, prosecutors said.
Knapp was charged following an investigation by the Endicott Police Department.
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Cawley sentenced Knapp to 25-year-to-life sentences on each count, to be served consecutively. The sentence virtually assures Knapp will die in prison, said Broome County District Attorney Michael Korchak, who called his acts “the worst possible crimes.”
“It was two victims and they were assaulted repeatedly,” Korchak said. “These are also the most difficult cases to bring before a jury. It was very brave of (the victims) to come forward.”
Korchak also praised the District Attorney’s Office Special Victims Bureau for its work to secure justice for the victims.
Senior assistant district attorneys Sarah Dean, Alyssa Congdon, and Mariah Niederriter prosecuted the case.
Knapp has been incarcerated at the Broome County jail since his arrest in October 2020.
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