Man gets 50 years to life for sexual assault of 2 children in Geneseo

LIVINGSTON COUNTY, N.Y. — A man convicted in what prosecutors call “an ongoing pattern of sexual assault” involving two children over a five-year period has been sentenced to 50 years to life in prison.

Jerry W. Merrill, 64, was sentenced Thursday in Livingston County Court to the maximum on two counts of predatory sexual assault against a child. He was found guilty by a jury in January 2024 and sentenced to 25 years to life on each of the two counts.

The Livingston County District Attorney’s Office said the sexual assaults, involving two separate victims, happened from spring 2009 through spring 2014 in the Village of Genesee. One victim came forward, and in the course of the investigation, the second was identified, according to the DA’s office.

“The strength and fortitude of these two now young adults who came forward cannot be overstated. Due to the heroic actions of these young survivors, Jerry Merrill will never be able to hurt another child,” District Attorney Gregory McCaffrey stated. “It is the hope of the Livingston County District Attorney’s office that this life sentence will allow each of these victims to move forward and heal from this trauma.”