A 21-year-old confessed pedophile from Monsey, New York wants to withdraw the guilty plea he entered, the Journal News reports.
Shmul Dym pleaded guilty in June to two felony counts of sexual conduct against a child and two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child. He admitted in court to repeatedly touching the genitals of two young brothers, one 6-years-old and the other 8-years-old.
Rockland County prosecutors reportedly will oppose Dym’s bid to withdraw his guilty plea when the case returns to court Wednesday.
He could have been sentenced to as much as 14 years in state prison, but instead was offered a sentence consisting of no prison time and 10 years’ probation in what prosecutors said was an attempt on their part to save the young children from having to testify in court.
Dym would have also been compelled to register as a sex offender. His younger brother Betzalel is already registered as a Level sex offender after being convicted of repeatedly molesting a young boy six years ago.
Shmul Dym now wants to withdraw his plea and go to trial, his attorneys Kenneth Gribetz and Deborah Wolikow Loewenberg said.
The attorneys said that Dym has retained new counsel from Maryland
Gribetz was once the county’s district attorney. Loewenberg is a former prosecutor.
The two said they asked state Supreme Court Justice William A. Kelly on on July 17 to remove them from the case, but the judge refused to do so until Dym’snew attorney had actually notified the court that Dym had retained him.
Rockland County D.A. Thomas Zugibe noted that to have his guilty plea voided, Dym will have to show that it wasn’t made voluntarily.
He also reportedly said that he was confident his prosecutors would convict Dym if the case does go to trial.
The victims’ parents were harassed and pressured by some local rabbinical leaders to drop the charges against Dym, the D.A. said. Among the threats made was to ostracize the family from their religious community, he said.
“It would be a travesty to put the victims and their families through this emotional roller coaster, again. They were intimidated not to cooperate and they did cooperate. We’re going to vigorously oppose letting him withdraw his plea,” Zugibe reportedly said.
Shmul Dym pleaded guilty in June to two felony counts of sexual conduct against a child and two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child. He admitted in court to repeatedly touching the genitals of two young brothers, one 6-years-old and the other 8-years-old.
Rockland County prosecutors reportedly will oppose Dym’s bid to withdraw his guilty plea when the case returns to court Wednesday.
He could have been sentenced to as much as 14 years in state prison, but instead was offered a sentence consisting of no prison time and 10 years’ probation in what prosecutors said was an attempt on their part to save the young children from having to testify in court.
Dym would have also been compelled to register as a sex offender. His younger brother Betzalel is already registered as a Level sex offender after being convicted of repeatedly molesting a young boy six years ago.
Shmul Dym now wants to withdraw his plea and go to trial, his attorneys Kenneth Gribetz and Deborah Wolikow Loewenberg said.
The attorneys said that Dym has retained new counsel from Maryland
Gribetz was once the county’s district attorney. Loewenberg is a former prosecutor.
The two said they asked state Supreme Court Justice William A. Kelly on on July 17 to remove them from the case, but the judge refused to do so until Dym’snew attorney had actually notified the court that Dym had retained him.
Rockland County D.A. Thomas Zugibe noted that to have his guilty plea voided, Dym will have to show that it wasn’t made voluntarily.
He also reportedly said that he was confident his prosecutors would convict Dym if the case does go to trial.
The victims’ parents were harassed and pressured by some local rabbinical leaders to drop the charges against Dym, the D.A. said. Among the threats made was to ostracize the family from their religious community, he said.
“It would be a travesty to put the victims and their families through this emotional roller coaster, again. They were intimidated not to cooperate and they did cooperate. We’re going to vigorously oppose letting him withdraw his plea,” Zugibe reportedly said.
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