By By Tara Conry
Fifteen months after she was abducted and raped blocks from campus, a University graduate can rest knowing her attacker will spend a minimum of 20 years to life in jail.
Gregory Williams, who pled guilty in July to multiple charges of sexual assault and abduction, refused to speak at his sentencing hearing on Friday at Nassau County Court in Mineola.
Williams, 37, of Uniondale, confessed to the charges, hoping the court would be merciful when sentencing him.
The plea deal spared him from serving consecutive terms ,but could not bail him out of possible lifetime in a prison cell.
“I’m pleased that he received a sentence that has life at the end of it,” said Nassau County Assistant District Attorney Joy Watson, who prosecuted the case.
Watson said the prosecution had “overwhelming evidence” against Williams.
The most compelling proof was DNA obtained from the victim’s rape kit, which matched a sample previously obtained from Williams in the early 1990s.
Williams had been required to submit the sample to a state data bank after he was convicted of robbery and manslaughter.
He was still on parole for these crimes when he committed the rape, Watson said.
Based on his history, Watson said, ” He can not exist in society and belongs behind bars for the rest of his life.”
The victim, who no longer lives on Long Island and works in marketing, declined to speak directly to her attacker, but prepared a statement for Watson to read to the court.
As chief of the Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Bureau, Watson has dealt with many rape cases, but said this one was particularly “heinous” and “will have a permanent impact on the victim.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, Nassau County offers a free support program at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset.
The Sexual Assault Nurse Examniner or S.A.N.E. Center provides “expert, confidential medical care and emotional support.”
The center is open 24 hours, seven days a week.
A person may go directly to the S.A.N.E. Center or request the assistance of the Nassau County Police.
Call 911 or the Rape Hotline at (516) 222-2293 or walk into the Emergency Room of the North Shore University Hospital at 300 Community Drive, Manhasset.