Florida man charged with sexual abuse in Copake incident

COPAKE — A Florida man is being held in the Columbia County Jail on felony sexual abuse charges, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office said.

The sheriff’s office received a report of alleged child abuse from child protective services in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Columbia County Sheriff David Bartlett said.

Senior investigator Mark Dunspaugh, with assistance from the Manitowoc Police Department, determined that the alleged sexual abuse occurred in the town of Copake during the summer of 2019, when the victim was under 11 years old.

Xavier Canning, 22, of North Port, Florida, was charged by sheriff’s deputies with one count of sexual abuse in the first degree, Bartlett said.

Canning sometimes resides with family members in Copake, according to the sheriff’s office.

Canning was arraigned before Greenport Town Justice Barry Sack and was sent to the Columbia County Jail on $25,000 bail, with a court appearance scheduled at a future date, according to the sheriff’s office.

The investigation is continuing, Bartlett said, and the sheriff’s office is looking for any other potential victims.

The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information about the case to contact senior investigator Mark Dunspaugh at 518-828-3344.

The arrest was made in cooperation with the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office, the Manitowoc Police Department, the Manitowoc Human Services Department, the Willow Tree Child Advocacy Center and the Dr. Stephen and Suzanne Menkes Child Advocacy Center.