Colonie man sentenced to 14 years for child rape

COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- 33-year-old Derek George was sentenced to 14 years in state prison on Friday in a sexual assault case involving a child, the Albany County District Attorney's Office announced. The Colonie man pleaded guilty on January 27 to first-degree criminal sexual act.

George previously admitted that he raped a 13-year-old he was familiar with while at his Colonie home on October 31, 2021. Assistant District Attorney Ariel Fallon, who prosecuted the case, read impact statements from the victim and their family prior to the sentencing.

"You took away more than just my sense of safety; you stole my peace of mind and my innocence, you also shattered my self-worth," the victim wrote. "Each moment since you entered my life, it's been a battle against the echoes of fear and pain you've left behind. I may
be scarred, but I am not defined by what you did to me. I will find a way to heal, even if that
journey feels endless. I will rise from this, and I will not let your actions define my future."

Judge Andra Ackerman additionally ordered George to serve 20 years of probation after his release from prison. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.