Dustin Post is escorted to his seat in Chautauqua County Court by a sheriff deputy. Post was sentenced to 125 years to life for sexually abusing multiple children in Northern Chautauqua County from 2015-2019. P-J photo by Gregory Bacon

MAYVILLE — A teenage girl stood before Chautauqua County Court Judge David Foley talking about the pain of what Dustin Post did to her. She said the sexual abuse led her down a dark path, where she began cutting herself and abusing drugs to hide the pain.

She wanted Post to never be free again and she got her wish.

On Monday, County Court Judge David Foley sentenced Dustin Post, 27, to 125 years to life. That sentence will run after the previous federal sentencing of 50 years for child pornography is completed.

On Feb. 3, Post was found guilty on six counts of sexual misconduct against a child after a trial which took six days. Five children testified in court that they were sexually abused by Post when they were ages 3 to 12 years old.

Foley sentenced Post to 25 years to life on each of the six counts, and permitting only two of the counts to be served concurrently. “I don’t believe or feel that you’ve taken the appropriate amount of responsibility that you should have in regard to this,” he said. “I don’t believe you have any empathy or sympathy for the victims in this case, and I believe wholeheartedly that you’re capable of committing these types of acts in the future, if you should ever get out.”

The case was prosecuted by District Attorney Jason Schmidt and Assistant District Attorney Tracey Brunecz.

Schmidt requested the court sentence Post to 150 years to life. He was satisified with Foley’s sentencing. “Our mission here all along was that Mr. Post doesn’t get out of jail ever again and I think we’ve accomplished that,” he said.

Post was represented by Public Defender Nathaniel Barone, although the attorney was not in court on Monday, leaving other staff members to represent Post during the sentencing.

From 2015-19, Post abused multiple children in northern Chautauqua County.

In November 2019, state police received a complaint from a mother of an 8 year old girl who had been abused the summer before. That led police to eventually being able to seize Post’s cell phone, laptop computer and four flash drives which contained multiple images and videos of child pornography.

The federal Department of Justice was able to place charges of child pornography against Post in February 2020 and got their conviction in 2022. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Before the sentencing, one victim spoke in court and a second victim wrote out a statement which was read by Kelly Ziegler, a family advocate with the Child Advocate Program.

The teenager, who was victimized by Post when she was 12, said she is doing her best to turn her life around. “I hid what happened for years because I blamed myself,” she said.

She said the abuse that took place four years ago has caused her anxiety and depression. “I honestly don’t know how to put into words how much this has affected me,” she said.

Reading a victim impact statement from a second individual, Ziegler said the child is doing her best to move forward after being abused by Post. “Dustin hurt me and he knew it too. What he did will stick with me but now I have to build my confidence and move on with my life,” Ziegler read.

During the victims’ statements, Post sat motionless, wearing striped prison garb and orange clog shoes, with both his hands and legs in chains.

Assistant Public Defender Heather Burley stated that Post himself had been sexually abused, had a traumatic childhood and experienced homelessness and substance abuse. “This is not stated as a justification or an excuse,” she said, requesting that Post only be sentenced to 60 years total.

But when Post was offered the chance to speak on his own behalf, he declined, saying “no sir” to the judge.

Post showed no emotion as Foley handed down the sentence, sending him behind bars for the rest of his days.

Foley also issued orders of protection against the victims for 100 years and said there was a $1,425 surcharge as well.

Foley allowed 30 days for the defense to appeal his sentencing.

Post has been staying in the Chautauqua County Jail. He will now be sent to state prison where he will continue to carry out first the 50 year sentence for child pornography and then begin the 125 years to life for the sexual abuse charges.