YATES COUNTY, N.Y. (WENY) -- Since October 2022 the Yates County District Attorney's Office has been investigating and eventually charged 18 people involved in a child sex trafficking case spanning multiple counties.

"The facts of this investigation were shocking and represent a level of depravity that I've never encountered before in my ten-plus years of service," says Yates Co. DA Todd Casella.

Authorities believe the sexual abuse began for the girl around the age of six or seven; she was found by authorities at the age of 15 and she is now 16 years old. DA Casella said the girl is now safe and in good care.

Prosecutors say the child's adoptive mother, Micheleine Ridley, and Andrew Daugherty who lived in the same house as Ridley both participated in the years-long sexual exploitation of the child. Daugherty is a level two registered sex offender, having been convicted in 2006 on charges of Attempted Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, involving a male five-year-old child in the city of Elmira.  Over the course of time between 2017 and 2022, 16 more people were accused of taking part in the abuse. Most of them have struck plea agreements with the district attorney's office.

 

"Nearly all of the individuals that were sought out to abuse the victim by Daugherty suffer from some level of intellectual limitation, one of which has been found incompetent to proceed to trial, and another is awaiting a hearing to determine her competence to proceed to trial," explained DA Casella.

Casella explained the case was brought to authorities' attention after someone called 911 and said they were forced to have sex with a child.

"At around 6 o'clock in the morning, an individual called 911 reporting that he had been held at gunpoint and forced to have sex with a child. A statement was taken from that individual by a trooper; that statement was later reviewed by a member of the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations who did a subsequent interview with that individual, which, led members of the State Police to this residence and uncovered what was going on," Casella explained. 

Casella said the abusers left a digital footprint investigators were able to follow.

"All of the individual cell phones, which contain text messaging between them, where they discuss the commission of these crimes, as well as video evidence of the actual recordings that Daugherty had ordered to be made," says Casella. 

The district attorney has called the crimes in this case heinous. The sentences against the suspect range from 60 days in jail, and up to life in prison. Andrew Daugherty and Micheleine Ridley face the most serious charges; Daugherty was sentenced in June to 40 years to life in prison. Ridley pleaded guilty in August, she is set to serve 20 years to life in prison.

The full list of suspects and the charges they each are facing is available below, courtesy of the Yates County District Attorney:

  • Andrew Daugherty – Plead Guilty on 5/1/2023 to Predatory Sexual Assault against a
    Child (A-II Felony – Course of Sexual Contact with a child where actor is more than 18
    and victim is less than 13), Predatory Sexual Assault (A-II Felony – Actor commits a
    specified offense [Rape 1st forcible compulsion] and used or threatened to use a deadly
    or dangerous instrument) Child Sex Trafficking (B Felony), Compelling Prostitution (B
    Felony – Actor more than 18 and victim less than 18) and was sentenced on 6/20/2023 to
    concurrent terms of 25-life for Predatory sexual assault against a child and Predatory
    sexual assault, 5 to 15 years for compelling prostitution (concurrent with the 25-life
    sentences), and a consecutive sentence as Second Child Sexual Assault offender to 15
    years plus 20 years post-release supervision for a total sentence of 40 to life, Sex
    Offender Registration, and a final stay away order of protection.
  • Micheleine Ridley - Plead guilty to Predatory Sexual Assault against a Child (A-II
    Felony – Course of sexual Conduct where actor is more than 18 years old and the victim
    is less than 13 years old) on 8/1/2023 and was sentenced on 9/26/2023 to 20 years to life,
    Sex Offender Registration, and a final stay away order of protection.
  • Stephanie Ridley – Plead guilty by Superior Court Information to Promoting a Sexual
    Performance by a child less than 17 (D Felony) on 5/30/2023 and was sentenced on
    9/8/2023 to 180 days in the Yates County Jail, 10 years of probation, Sex Offender
    Registration, and a final stay away order of protection. A SORA hearing is scheduled for
    11/14/2023.
  • Richard Tallarida – Plead guilty on 8/7/2023 to one count of Criminal Sexual Act 2nd (D
    Felony – Oral Sexual Contact where Actor is more than 18 and victim is less than 15) and
    was sentenced on 9/26/2023 to 2 years plus 10 years post-release supervision, Sex
    Offender Registration, and a final stay away order of protection.
  • Tiffany Jamieson – Plead guilty on 10/6/2023 to Criminal Sexual Act 2nd (D Felony –Oral Sexual Contact where Actor is more than 18 and victim is less than 15)and is scheduled for sentencing on 1/9/2024.
  • Ashley Crandall – On 8/7/2023 the defendant was found incompetent to proceed and was
    committed to the custody of the Director of mental Health and Hygiene until such time as
    she is competent to proceed.
  •  Ashley Shaffer – Plead Guilty on 4/18/2023 to Criminal Sexual Act 2nd (D Felony – Oral
    Sexual Contact where actor is more than 18 and victim is under 15) and was sentence on
    8/1/2023 to 2 years plus 8 years post-release supervision, Sex Offender Registration, and
    a final stay away order of protection.
  •  Greg Scears – Plead Guilty on 3/13/2023 by Superior Court Information to Rape 3rd (E
    Felony – Sexual Intercourse where Victim is less than 17 and actor more than 21) and
    was sentenced on 6/6/2023 to 2 years plus 8 years post-release supervision, Sex Offender
    Registration, and a final stay away order of protection.
  • Mary Diederich – case is still pending with a Competency hearing scheduled for
    11/2/2023 to determine whether the defendant is competent to proceed.

  • 10. Michael Gucciardo – Plead guilty on 10/10/2023 to Criminal Sexual Act 3rd (E Felony –
    Oral Sexual Contact where the actor more than 21 and the victim is less than 17).
    Sentencing is scheduled for 1/9/2024.
  • Steven Sherman – Plead guilty on 2/14/2023 by Superior Court Information to Rape 3
    rd(E Felony – Sexual Intercourse where Victim is less than 17 and actor more than 21) and
    was sentenced on 5/9/2023 to 180 days in the Yates County Jail and 10 years of
    Probation, Sex Offender Registration, and a final stay away order of protection. A SORA
    hearing was held on 7/7/2023 and the defendant was assessed a Level 1 Sex Offender.
  • Zackery Crissell – Plead guilty by Superior Court Information on 4/18/2023 to Rape 2nd
    (E Felony – Sexual Intercourse where actor is more than 18 and victim is less than 15)
    and was sentenced on 7/7/2023 to 2 years plus 6 years post-release supervision, Sex
    Offender Registration, and a final stay away order of protection.
  • Wayne Niles – Plead guilty on 5/30/2023 to Rape 2nd (E Felony – Sexual Intercourse
    where actor is more than 18 and victim is less than 15) and was sentenced on 8/22/2023
    to 2.5 years plus 10 years post-release supervision, Sex Offender Registration, and a final
    stay away order of protection.
  • Aaron Labar – Plead guilty in the Town of Starkey Court (Hon. Carrie Wood Presiding)
    to Sexual Abuse 2nd (A Misdemeanor – Sexual contact where victim is less than 14), and
    was sentenced on the same date to 60 days in the Yates County Jail, 6 years of probation,
    Sex Offender Registration, and a final stay away order of protection. A SORA hearing
    was held on 9/13/2023 and the defendant was assessed a Level 2 Sex Offender.
  • Brittany Skinkle – plead guilty by Superior Court Information to one count of Criminal
    Sexual Act 1st (B Felony – Oral sexual contact where actor is more than 18/victim less
    than 13) on 3/13/2023 and was sentenced on 9/15/2023 to 4 years plus 10 years post release supervision, Sex Offender Registration, and a final stay away order of protection.
  •  Anthony Hawn – Plead guilt to Rape 2nd (D Felony – Sexual intercourse where the actor
    is more than 18 and the victim is less than 15) on 6/20/2023, and was sentenced
    7/11/2023 to 4.5 years plus 9 years post-release supervision, Sex Offender Registration,
    and a final stay away order of protection.
  •  Kayla Montgomery – Plead guilty by Superior Court Information on 4/10/2023 to
    Criminal Sexual Act 1st (B Felony – Oral sexual contact where the actor is more than 18
    and the victim is less than 13) and was sentenced on 7/11/2023 to 3.5 years plus 7 years
    post-release supervision, Sex Offender Registration, and a final stay away order of
    protection.
  •  Summer Elliott – Plead guilty by Superior Court Information to Criminal Sexual Act 2nd
    (D felony - Oral Sexual Contact where actor is more than 18 and victim is under 15) and
    on 2/14/2023. Before the defendant was sentenced, but after he plea she was charged with
    Assault 2nd (D Felony – physical injury to another person while in a correctional facility)
    Use of a Child in a sexual Performance (C Felony) and was convicted of Attempted
    Assault 3rd on 8/7/2023) Due to the arrest subsequent to her plea, the defendant received
    an enhanced sentenced on the felony on 7/25/2023 of 6 years plus 8 years post-release
    supervision on the Criminal Sexual act to run concurrently with 3-9 years on the Use of a
    Child, Sex Offender Registration, and a final stay away order of protection.