Greene County man sentenced to prison for rape of 14-year-old

KINGSTON―A Greene County man is headed to state prison after he admitted to having sex with a 14-year-old girl.

Russell Merrihew, 41, of Cairo was sentenced in Ulster County Court on Tuesday by Judge Bryan Rounds to five years in prison, followed by 15 years of post-release supervision. Merrihew is also required to register as sex offender.

Merrihew was arrested in September of last year by the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) out of Kingston after troopers received a formal complaint reporting that Merrihew had been sexually involved with the teen.

He was initially charged with six counts of second-degree rape, one count of second-degree disseminating indecent material to a minor through computer communication, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

On March 18, Merrihew accepted a plea deal and admitted to one count of second-degree rape and one count of second-degree disseminating indecent material to a minor.

Merrihew is remanded to the Ulster County Jail where he has been since his arrest and will be transferred to a state facility.

According to state records, Merrihew was paroled from prison in August of 2024 after serving two years and seven months for an attempted robbery conviction in Albany County.