Hastings (WSYR-TV) – A Watertown man accused of raping an underage girl is facing new charges that he attempted to bribe the victim to keep her testimony out of court.
The Oswego County Sheriff’s Office says Matthew D. Roof, 34, of Middle Rd., gave the victim a cell phone and then contacted her on it.
The cell phone was allegedly given to the victim by Roof to keep the victim from testifying against him in court. By allegedly contacting her, Roof also violated an order of protection.
Roof was originally arrested on October 23, 2011 and charged with criminal sex act, rape, course of sexual conduct and endangering the welfare of a child.
The victim was 11 to 13 years old when the alleged sexual conduct took place between June 2010 and September 2011.
Roof’s new charges are criminal contempt, a felony, and bribing a witness, a felony.
He is being held in the Oswego County Jail in lieu of $40,000 cash bail or $90,000 bond and is scheduled to return to court on June 22.
