(WNY News Now) – Wyoming County, N.Y. – After an eight day trial, a Wyoming County jury acquitted Attica Corrections Sergeant, Jeremy Nugent, on all charges related to sexual abuse of a minor. The allegations stemmed from an September 19, 2023 indictment alleging that Mr. Nugent sexually abused his step daughter. Mr. Nugent is the father of two children and worked as a corrections officer for 23 years and has been a sergeant since 2013. As a result of the indictment he was suspended pending resolution of his criminal charges. Mr. Nugent’s lead attorney, Frank Bogulski, stated “from the start we knew our client was not guilty of these charges and he maintained unwavering innocence throughout this process. This was a difficult time for Mr. Nugent and his family, but everyone supported him through this difficult time.”
The case was turned over to the jury for deliberations after four (4) days of testimony. Several days of deliberations led the jury to return its verdict around 2:30 pm on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 where Mr. Nugent was acquitted of all charges. Before the Hon. Melissa Cianfrini of Genesee County, the case was prosecuted by Chelsie Hamilton from the Wyoming County District Attorney’s office and defended by lead attorney, Frank Bogulski, and assisted by attorney Christy Cooper of Buffalo. After the verdict, Mr. Nugent hugged his family and said “now I can get my life back.”
During the trial, the prosecution called several witnesses including the child complainants. Prosecutors also called an expert witness on child abuse. The defendant did not testify; however, the defense called an expert witness, Dr. Jason Dickinson, from Montclair State University in New Jersey to testify about child victims and false reporting of sexual abuse. Attorney Frank Bogulski said “this was a challenging case due to the sensitive nature of the allegations, but we are exceptionally pleased that the jury took their time and got this right. Mr. Nugent was facing up to 25 years in prison. We know that this jury exercised its due diligence in examining all of the evidence carefully and delivered a fair and impartial verdict. From the day I was hired on this case I knew Mr. Nugent was innocent and we are happy that the jury believed in his innocence as well.”
After the jury delivered its not guilty verdict, Judge Melissa Cianfrini thanked the jurors for their service and attention to the case and expressed her gratitude for their jury service outlining the important role they served in the justice system.
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