Palenville man found not guilty in rape case

CATSKILL―After two trials and nearly 18 months in jail, a Palenville man has been acquitted of charges stemming from allegations of sexual abuse and rape of a minor.

Caleb Cross, 32, walked out of the Greene County Courthouse a free man on Wednesday after a jury found him not guilty of second-degree rape, second-degree incest, forcible touching, endangering the welfare of a child, and three counts of third-degree sexual abuse.

Arrested by State Police following an investigation into alleged sexual contact with a 14-year-old female in Catskill, Cross had been held on $50,000 bail in the Greene County Jail since October 30, 2024.

A grand jury handed up a 16-count indictment against Cross in November of 2024, but nine of those charges were eventually dismissed.

The case first went to trial last fall but resulted in Greene County Court Judge David M. Costanzo declaring a mistrial over purported questions with evidence disclosure.

The second trial ended Wednesday with a not guilty verdict on all counts.

Greene County District Attorney Joseph Stanzione said that his office presented evidence in the case that jurors determined was “insufficient to meet the high standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”

“I commend the child for coming forward and presenting her case,” he said. “I commend the jury for the time and effort they spent reviewing the facts of this case and rendering a verdict.”

“Cases of this nature are not easy, and it takes a strong body of jurors to bring such a case to its final conclusion,” Stanzione said.

Cross was represented by attorneys Marie Beckford and Tim Zehr of Albany who served as assistant Greene County public defenders.