Kingston, NY—Joseph Buboltz, Sr., age 67, of Kingston, pleaded guilty to Predatory Sexual Assault Against a Child, a class A-II felony, before the Honorable Bryan Rounds on February 7, 2023. Defendant faces a mandatory life sentence with the eligibility of parole in no less than fifteen years when he is sentenced. He is being held without bail at the Ulster County Jail pending sentence. 

This conviction stems from a course of conduct occurring between March 2021 through August 2022, whereby the Defendant engaged in a course of sexual conduct against a 7-year-old child. The conduct included oral sexual conduct and anal sexual contact of the child over the course of a year and a half. Following an investigation by the Family Child Advocacy Center, the defendant made a full admission to his crimes to law enforcement in this case. 

“I’ve handled many cases of child sexual assault over the years. The course of sexual conduct that this 7-year-old endured at the hands of the defendant is amongst the most horrific cases I have experienced in my career”, said Chief of the Grand Jury Bureau and Senior Assistant District Attorney Nicholas LaStella who was responsible for the prosecution of this case. 

“We are hopeful this victim can begin healing from the abuse she endured and are pleased that this conviction should ensure that the defendant never has the opportunity to harm a child ever again.”   

“We have zero tolerance for those who prey on our most vulnerable, in this case, a child in our community. The creation of this office’s Grand Jury Bureau and its thorough yet expeditious assessment and presentation of this case to the grand jury resulted in the swift conviction of the defendant and avoided undue harm to the victim of this horrendous crime.” said District Attorney David Clegg.  Sentencing is scheduled for May 18, 2023. The defendant was represented by the Office of the Ulster County Public Defender.