ALBANY – Acting in the interest of justice, a state appeals court slashed 25 years off the aggregate sentence of a defendant convicted of a plethora of charges related to the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl.

A panel of the Appellate Division, Third Department, unanimously agreed in People v. Charles, 104821, that Alan Charles' 57-year prison sentence from a Sullivan County judge was harsh and excessive, given the nature of his offenses and other factors, such as the fact the prosecution sought an aggregate prison term of 25 years.

The court also said the original crime, while “repulsive,” arose out of an encounter with one victim committed over an hour instead of repeated incidents involving a number of victims. In addition, the judges noted that Charles, who was then 25, had no previous felony convictions before he was convicted of the 2010 sexual attack.