Tonawanda man convicted on sex abuse charges

A former City of Tonawanda man will be sentenced in January after being convicted Thursday on sex abuse charges.

It took an Erie County jury less than an hour to convict 52-year-old Robert Arida for one count of Forcible Touching and Endangering the Welfare of a Minor for his conduct with a juvenile in 2013.

Police say the defense attorney attempted to discredit the victim, arguing that the juvenile's behavior had prompted the defendant's conduct, and may have been a plot hatched by the victim and the victim's friend to entrap the defendant.

Assistant District Attorney Ryan Haggerty objected to the argument, saying there was no testimony or evidence of any kind during the trial that would have supported those claims.

Arida moved to South Carolina around the time this matter was scheduled for Trial. He has been remanded into custody of the Sheriff.

After Arida's sentencing, the judge will schedule a hearing to determine Arida's Sex Offender Registration Level.