Afton Man Charged with Rape and Assault of Two Children

A Chenango County man is under arrest, charged with several crimes against children.

According to a written release from the New York State Police, investigators from both the Sidney and Binghamton areas looked into reports of alleged inappropriate behavior by 32-year-old James D. Blackman of Afton, New York. The initial report was received on April 15, 2022.

Police say that their investigation revealed that Blackman allegedly "raped and sexually abused two children under the age of 11 on multiple occasions in Chenango County."

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Blackman was arrested on Thursday, April 28, 2022 and now faces the following charges:

two counts of Predatory Sex Assault Against a Child, a Class A felony
four counts of Criminal Sex Act in the First Degree, a Class B felony
two counts of Sex Abuse in the First degree
two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a misdemeanor

Blackman was arraigned and sent to the Chenango County Jail pending a future court appearance.

The NYSP says, "If you are concerned that a child is being abused, the State Police are ready to help. Please report any incidents no matter what your role is - parent, family member, coach, teacher, religious leader, etc."

Anyone with information that may be helpful to the investigation of this case is asked to call police.

Regardless of the area in which an investigation or crime is taking place, anonymous calls, e-mail, and messages may also be left with Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers by calling: 1-866-730-8477 (TIPS), by visiting www.mohawkvalleycrimestoppers.com, or by using the P3 Tips mobile app. All information received by Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers is 100% confidential.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: This post is for informational purposes and is based largely on information received from the New York State Police. The reader is reminded that all suspects and arrested persons are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. At the time of this posting no additional information is available.]

Utica, NY Police Department's Top Ten Most Wanted

The City of Utica Police Department in Utica, New York has released its Top Ten Most Wanted List for the month of February 2022.

Several of those listed have previously been featured in separate posts about individual crimes, on a previous wanted list, or as the Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers Wanted Person of the Week.

The reader is reminded that all persons, either suspected of or arrested in connection to, a crime, are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of any of the individuals listed is asked to call police or the local Crime Stoppers.

The Utica Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division can be reached at: (315) 223.3510.

Calls, e-mail, and messages may also be left anonymously with Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers by calling: 1-866-730-8477 (TIPS), by visiting www.mohawkvalleycrimestoppers.com, or by using the P3 Tips mobile app. All information received by Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers is 100% confidential.

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