Originally Posted - July 25, 2006

return home

TROY---A former Mr. Ding-A-Ling driver has been found guilty of free ice cream and rides in his ice cream truck to sexually abuse a nine year old girl.

Eduardo Grau, 55, an Argentinian national, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to first degree sex abuse. He had been arrested on Aug. 9, 2004, for allegedly driving the girl to a wooded area in his ice cream truck, kissing her and fondling her through her clothes. He had initially denied the incident.

Grau has been incarcerated in the Rensselaer County Jail for nearly two years without having been to trial. He's been sentenced to time served and will be deported to Argentina. State law provides that any non-citizen convicted of a sex crime can be expelled from the country. He will be transferred to a holding facility in Buffalo to await deportation proceedings.

The girl had ridden on the truck before and had given a written statement to police in which she said that Grau had told her not to tell anyone about the incident saying "No telling, no mom, no dad, no brother. It's dangerous".

Grau does not speak English well and told the judge through an interpreter that he had nothing to say. He had told police that "If my lips touched her, it would have been a mistake. She is a baby. I would not kiss her with lust or passion".

Rensselaer County assistant district attorney Jennifer Shatz said that the case should remind parents of the importance of proper supervision.
7-25-06

© 2006 North Country Gazette