Man sentenced in rapes of child in Montgomery County

PHOTOGRAPHER: Matthew McKibben

An Albany man who participated in a scheme in which two men repeatedly raped a child was sentenced Monday to 12 years in state prison.

After talking on an Internet site, a Tribes Hill man arranged for Neal D. Sommers, 27, to rape the child twice, police say.

David A. Andrews, 61, admitted earlier to raping the child, a relative of his, over a two-month period in 2012 when the girl was under the age of 13. In a September hearing the judge presiding over the case called it one of the most shocking he’s had.

Andrews was sentenced to 19 years in state prison in September.

Montgomery County District Attorney Jed Conboy and Sommers’ attorney, Bill Lorman, agreed to a plea deal before Monday’s hearing. Lorman declined to comment following the hearing.

Conboy called Sommers’ pre-sentence report “interesting.” He said he hadn’t seen one quite like it before.

Conboy noted that Sommers is similar to other pedophiles in that he claims to believe the girl was of age when they had sexual contact.

Sommers also claims he ended the relationship when he learned she was a child.

“That is par for the course for most pedophiles, but what sets Mr. Sommers apart is that he then puts on his white hat,” Mr. Sommers said. “He says that after he found out the victim was not of age he decided to not have any more contact with underage girls. Unfortunately, for him that is not true.”

Conboy said that Sommers was apprehended when he attempted to meet up with a 13-year-old girl after conversing with her online.

Instead of meeting the girl, he was arrested by state police.

Also in the report, Conboy said, Sommers claims he was “instrumental” in helping state police prosecute Andrews, taking the girl away from Andrews.

“Never before have I seen a sex offender take credit for his actions in helping a victim,” Conboy said. “We must keep him away from children as long as possible.”

Conboy called Sommers a pedophile “in the truest sense of the word.”