Greenwood Lake man charged with abusing a child

Village of Greenwood Lake Police Department arrested village resident Matthew Morton on sex charges following an investigation into the alleged the sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of a child.

Morton, 42, has been charged with possessing a sexual performance by a child, use of a child in a sexual performance, third-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child stemming from incidents alleged to have occurred between April 20 and April 23 of this year.

Morton was arraigned July 28 in Greenwood Lake and remanded to the county jail pending further court proceedings.

“At this stage, he remains innocent of all the charges in the eyes of the law,” said Morton’s attorney Kevin Conway. “We are at the stage where we are just beginning to have discussions with the prosecution and it is too early to say what the outcome will be, but we are looking forward to proving his innocence of the charges.”

Executive Assistant District Attorney Ryan Greenbaum said the top count is a Class C felony, which has a theoretical maximum sentence of 5 to 15 years with no mandatory incarceration.

“The protection of children remains once of the Greenwood Lake Police Department’s highest priorities,” said Greenwood Lake Chief of Police Adam Eirand said in a July 30 press release. “Crimes involving the exploitation and abuse of children are among the most serious offenses investigated by law enforcement. We remain steadfast in our commitment to conducting thorough investigations, supporting victims and holding offenders accountable under the law.”