JURY CONVICTS BRONX MAN OF SODOMY AND RELATED CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE 2002 ASSAULT ON TWO YOUNG GIRLS

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that a 53 year-old Bronx mans has been convicted on charges of sodomy and other related charges involving two young girls.

A jury found Harry Brooks, of 2010 Bruckner Boulevard, guilty of 2 counts of Sodomy in the 1st degree, 3 counts of Sexual abuse in the 1st degree and 2 counts of Endangering the welfare of a child for the July 2002, assault of two young girls, six and eight years of age.

In a separate trial last December, Brooks was convicted of two counts of Endangering the welfare of a child, stemming from an attack on two other pre-pubescent girls in August 2002. In that incident, Brooks was also charged with two counts each of Attempted Robbery in the 2nd and 3rd degrees, and 2 counts each of Assault in the 2nd and 3rd degrees, in which there was a hung jury.

In that case, Brooks followed two young girls, nine and ten year-old cousins, into the elevator of their apartment building and prevented them from leaving the elevator. After demanding money, Brooks also hit the girls "on or about the face and body with his hands" causing the victims to suffer bruises and substantial pain. In his attempt to flee, the defendant fell down a set of stairs, and broke his ankle. The defendant was apprehended at the scene. A sentencing date has yet to be set.

Brooks, a mandatory persistent violent felony offender faces a maximum term of fifty years to life imprisonment, when he appears before Acting State Supreme Court Justice Barbara Newman for sentencing on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 in Part T15.

Brooks' latest conviction is the result of an assault which occurred on July 30, 2002, when the defendant lured two young victims up to the rooftop of their apartment building. Once on the rooftop, Brooks hit the eight year-old girl with his hands, and ordered each victim to undress. Brooks sodomized both victims before they could escape. After the victim's escaped, they reported the incident to their family members who called the police. Brooks fled and remained at large until the August 5, 2002 incident. Brooks was identified by his victims in a line-up.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Astrid Borgstedt of the Child Abuse / Sex Crimes Bureau.