Thursday, October 1, 2026
Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Long Beach man was convicted on Dec. 15 for repeatedly sexually abusing an eight-year old child after a trial that last three days.
It took a Nassau jury just 35 minutes to convict Emil Best, 39, on two counts of a first-degree criminal sexual act, three counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.
The defendant is due back in court on Jan. 25 before Supreme Court Justice Angelo Delligatti. He faces 10 to 25 years in prison on the top count.
“The defendant – throughout his entire adult life – has shown a callous disregard for the dignity and well-being of defenseless children,” Singas said in a statement. “Robbing a child of his or her innocence is particularly disturbing and our prosecutors will be recommending that he be sentenced to 25 years in prison, the maximum time allowable by law.”
Singas said that the defendant, starting in the fall of 2005 and into the spring of 2006, repeatedly abused the victim, an eight-year old child. The victim reported the abuse for the first time to authorities in 2012 and Best was arrested by Long Beach detectives on July 30, 2013.
The defendant is already a level 2 sex offender for a January 2000 conviction for first-degree attempted sexual abuse for a case involving a 9-year-old and has a conviction from December 2008 for endangering the welfare of acChild for a case with a 12-year old.
He is a prior violent felony offender and was convicted in July 2010 for assaulting a Nassau County Corrections Officer.
Assistant District Attorney Melissa Scannell is prosecuting the case for Acting DA Singas’ Special Victims Bureau. Best is represented by attorney Jeff Groder.
