Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced today that a prominent youth basketball coach in Mount Vernon pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a child under the age of 13 for five months.
The defendant, Dwayne Murray, 63, of Mount Vernon, pleaded guilty Friday afternoon before Judge Robert J. Prisco in Westchester County Court to Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony.
The defendant is expected to be sentenced to a determinate term of 18 years in state prison, with 20 years of post-release supervision, when he is sentenced on November 17, 2026. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
DA Cacace said: “The case against Dwayne Murray is a profound betrayal of trust. The defendant held a position of authority within the Mount Vernon community, which he not only violated but exploited to gain the victim’s trust and subjected her to months of horrific sexual abuse. But the betrayal didn’t end there. Even after the abuse, the defendant used his public platform to deny the allegations, further deceiving the very community he was entrusted to serve. The defendant’s predatory conduct and persistent lies have compounded the trauma suffered by the victim, a young girl who should never have been forced to endure this unspeakable harm. The substantial sentence the defendant faces should serve as a clear warning that my office will always pursue justice on behalf of child victims and hold accountable anyone who abuses a position of authority, regardless of their prominence or standing in the community. I commend my Special Prosecutions Division and Criminal Investigators Squad for their tireless and meticulous efforts to secure this fitting outcome.”
Between Oct. 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024, the defendant repeatedly subjected the victim, a female child under the age of 13, to two or more acts of sexual conduct in the City of Mount Vernon, including at least one act of oral sexual conduct.
The defendant was arrested on May 14, 2025, by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigators Squad, which received a tip containing child sexual abuse allegations committed by the defendant and launched an investigation.
The investigation, conducted by the DA’s Office Special Prosecutions Division and Criminal Investigators, included interviews with relevant witnesses, the victim and the defendant, the execution of search warrants, and analysis of electronic devices belonging to the victim and defendant.
A search of these devices revealed that the defendant had exchanged sexually inappropriate text messages with the victim. Further, the defendant admitted to his involvement in the crime during an interview with the DA’s criminal investigators.
If you or someone you know is a victim of the defendant, we encourage you to contact your local police department or the DA’s Office multilingual tips line at (914) 995-TIPS (8477).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Kontos and Special Prosecutions Division Co-Chief Christine Hatfield.