Dad convicted of attempting to kill, sexually assault 6-month-old daughter; had just secured visitation (Monticello, New York)

We first reported on dad CORY CLARKE last summer. Here are the previous posts:

http://dastardlydads.blogspot.com/2009/07/dad-charged-with-attempted-murder-of-7.html
http://dastardlydads.blogspot.com/2009/09/dad-accused-of-sexually-abusing-infant.html
http://dastardlydads.blogspot.com/2009/12/dad-accused-of-sexually-abusing-7-month.html

What this follow-up article doesn't mention is that Clarke had just secured visitation with his two children when this sexual assault and attempted murder/abandonment of his 6-month-old daughter took place. In fact, it was his very first weekend with visitation.

http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2010/March/09/Clarke_guilty-09Mar10.html

Sullivan man convicted of attempting to kill, sexually assault his infant daughter

MONTICELLO – It took a Sullivan County Court jury just one hour to convict Cory Clarke, 27, of Monticello, on all counts for trying to kill and then sodomizing his six-month-old daughter.

On July 4, 2009, when Clarke entered the Wal-mart store in the Town of Thompson, he reported his daughter was missing. A search was launched and the infant was found in a wooded area nearby.

The investigation led to charges that Clarke tried to kill the infant, sodomized her and dumped her in the woods.

District Attorney James Farrell said Clarke will now pay for the heinous acts he committed on his daughter.

“It’s a sad state of affairs when a father does this to his own daughter, to his own flesh and blood, these types of unnatural and horrific acts,” he said, Monday. “The jury has found him guilty of that and now he needs to be held accountable. They found him accountable and responsible.”

The jury found Clarke guilty of attempted murder, criminal sexual act in the first degree, sexual abuse in the first degree, incest in the first degree, assault in the second degree, endangering the welfare of a child, abandonment of a child and predatory sexual assault against a child.

When sentenced, Clarke faces up to 50 years to life in prison.