Man convicted of raping young relatives

SALAMANCA, N.Y. (WIVB) - A Salamanca man has been convicted of taking his young relatives across state lines and repeatedly raping them.

Kevin Donaldson was convicted after a two-week jury trial of transporting minors across state lines for the purpose of sexually abusing them and witness tampering. Prosecutors say between April 2004 and July 2007, the 47-year-old former truck driver took three of his relatives across state lines and raped them.

Prosecutors say one of the victims was 13-years-old, and Donaldson raped the victim for the next three years. Testimony from the victim at the trial showed Donaldson ignored the victim's pleas for the abuse to stop.

While awaiting trial, Donaldson wrote multiple letters from the Niagara County Jail to one of the victims and the mother of a victim, telling them to testify that "nothing happened."

Donaldson was already convicted in 2010 of rape charges in Cattaraugus County and sentenced to four years in prison.

When he is sentenced in November, Donaldson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in jail and could be sentenced to life in prison. He could also be fined $250,000.