A St. Albans teenager, who was charged with the 2010 rape of a 21-year-old woman he had met through an adult website directory, has been convicted and is awaiting being sentenced, said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
On May 1, 2010, the victim agreed to meet the defendant, Dominicio Fuhrtz, 19, after he contacted her through the website, backpage.com. He brought her back to an abandoned house at 115-30 175th Street in Queens, which she believed was his home, according to the trial testimony. Once inside, Fuhrtz pulled out a gun and raped the woman.
He was arrested on June 10, 2010 when he tried to pick up another woman on the same website – not knowing that the victim had shared his information with friends who also posted on the site. A sting was set up, and he was caught.
Investigators used his DNA, as well as the victim’s, and matched the profiles on a used condom recovered at the Queens house.
“This case once again underscores the effectiveness of DNA as a tool of law enforcement,” District Attorney Brown said. “This defendant is a violent predator who should receive a substantial prison sentence in order to punish him and protect society.”
Fuhrtz was convicted this past Wednesday of first- degree rape and first-degree criminal sexual act. Sentencing is set for October 29, 2012, at which time Fuhrtz faces up to 25 years in prison.
By Ryan Lavis
