VESTAL — A 50-year-old Vestal man turned himself in to police Tuesday to face multiple felony charges related to a sexual incident involving a minor.
Jerome Esterine was charged with use of a child in a sexual performance, a class C felony; promoting a sexual performance by a child, a class D felony; rape in the third degree, a class E felony; and tampering with physical evidence, a class E felony.
Investigators had previously secured statements and executed numerous search warrants on Esterine’s residence and electronic devices as part of their investigation.
When police attempted to arrest Esterine, they discovered he had abandoned his residence and taken an extensive leave from work.
Through further investigation, authorities determined that one of Esterine’s associates had helped him evade arrest by transporting him out of Vestal and providing him with a hotel room and additional transportation.
On March 24, this associate was arrested for hindering prosecution, a class E felony, and released on an appearance ticket.
Following his arrest, Esterine was arraigned in the Town of Vestal Court and remanded to the Broome County Jail with a $10,000 cash bail.
