Columbia-Greene Media
by Roger Gilson
HUDSON-
The four defendants charged with a litany of child sex crimes were found guilty on multiple charges Wednesday.
The jury returned not guilty verdicts on many counts after a day-and-a-half of deliberations, but the dozens of charges they were found guilty on could still land them in prison for life, according to state sentencing guidelines.
Goliath Van Alphen, of Claverack, Jeanine Van Alphen-Moot, of Hillsdale, William Wendover III, of Cairo, and Eugene Shackelton, of Copake, were arrested by state police Dec. 22, 2014, following a two-year investigation which began after the defendants stopped having contact with the children.
Columbia County District Attorney Paul Czajka, who prosecuted the case with the assistance of Columbia County Assistant District Attorney Ryan Carty, said the verdict was important because the children needed to know their experience was believed by adults.
"I honestly and truly believe the verdict will help those four children recover," Czajka said.
The four children, who all testified in court, are between the ages of 9 and 14, but were much younger during the crimes, which happened between June 2009 and February 2011, according to the indictment.
