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TOWN OF SARATOGA — A Saratoga man was sentenced Tuesday to serve an aggregate of 78 years to life in prison following his Feb. 2 conviction on charges that he sexual abused two victims under the age of 18 between January 2014 and May 2021.
Nathaniel Bradford, 38, was convicted on nine charges, among them seven felonies, including one count of predatory sexual assault, two counts of predatory sexual assault against a child, three counts of second-degree rape and one count of second-degree criminal sexual act, according to a press release from the District Attorney’s Office. He was also convicted on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor.
The victims and other members of their households were also given orders of protection for 100 years by Saratoga County Court Judge James Murphy.
Bradford was arrested in May 2021 on allegations of abusing and raping a female under the age of 11 over several years at two different locations in the town of Greenfield and town of Saratoga, the Gazette reported at the time.
In 2021, police said the victim was known to Bradford, and deputies said the abuse came to light when the victim told a friend part of what had happened, leading to authorities being notified.
Another victim was found over the course of the investigation by sheriff’s deputies, with assistance from officials at the Harriet M. West Child Advocacy Center and the Saratoga County Department of Social Services Child Protective Services.
According the DA’s Office’s Tuesday statement, crimes were also found to have occurred in Saratoga Springs.
TDuring sentencing, Murphy said the victims were “brave” for confronting Bradford, according to the DA’s Office.
“I believe them and the jury believed them,” he said.
The DA’s Office said Bradford and his lawyer both addressed the court Tuesday. Bradford’s lawyer spoke about the letters of support provided by Bradford’s family and friends, while Bradford went “rambling on about the victims and their family, but never acknowledging responsibility for the crimes the jury found him guilty,” according to the DA’s Office.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Michele Schettino advocated for the 78 years to life, due to the nature of the crimes, length of time of the abuse, courage of the victims to come forward and the “egregious conduct the defendant engaged in to silence the victims, such as enticing them with alcohol and drugs as he exploited the victims for years,” the office’s release states.
Heggen commended the work of Schettino and Assistant District Attorney Rachel Phelan, along with the other county agencies and law enforcement.
“It was this complete team that came together in presenting evidence that convinced the trial jury to convict the defendant of all nine counts submitted to them in approximately 30 minutes,” she said.
Reporter Shenandoah Briere can be reached at [email protected].
Categories: News, Saratoga County, Saratoga Springs
