NY Woman Walks in Sex Case - Updated

(Port Byron, New York) Thirty-one-year-old Tonya Hickey pleaded guilty yesterday in Cayuga County Court to a single misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare a child after court officials said there was insufficient evidence to support the initial case.

As a result, Hickey was sentenced to one-year conditional discharge.

Hickey's case was supposed to go to trial later this month, court officials said.

"There was no physical evidence, there was a 1.5 year delay in reporting the case, the victim has been in and out of placement and the victim was reluctant to testify," said District Attorney Jon Budelmann, as he discussed the challenges facing the prosecution. "I don't blame him. He didn't want to talk about these sex offenses in front of strangers."

Hickey was originally charged with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, two counts of third-degree sexual abuse and one count each of first-degree rape and second-degree rape, all felonies, in addition to endangering the welfare of a child.

Without the boy's testimony, there was no case.

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New York Woman Arrested for Sex with Boy
[Previous 12/17/09 post]
(Port Byron, New York) A 30-year-old local woman, Tonya Hickey, was arrested yesterday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy. She has been charged with felony rape and misdemeanor counts of sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.

The boy's social worker alerted the authorities. Sexual intercourse between the boy and Hickey allegedly occurred at her home in September 2008.

Hickey was booked into custody at the Cayuga County Jail with bail set at $10,000 or $20,000 bond.