Suspect, 33, Claims His Clothes Got Girl, 11, Pregnant

A 33-year-old father-of-five who got an 11-year-old girl pregnant has denied having sex with her and claims it was his clothing that got her pregnant.

Robert Cronin, from upstate New York, is facing sexual assault charges for having sex with a minor. The girl gave birth recently and both she and the baby are being safely cared for, police said.

A DNA test determined that Robert Cronin was the father of the 11-year-old girl’s baby. Cronin didn’t dispute the results but insisted he never had sex with the child, a report Wednesday.

He said:

I don’t want to be known for a crime I didn’t commit.

Cronin claimed the girl became pregnant after she came in contact with clothing he had used while masturbating. He said he realizes his story may be difficult for some to believe but said the police who arrested him were just lacking scientific knowledge.

Police in Niskayuna, about 20 miles northwest of Albany, arrested and charged Cronin with endangering the welfare of a child and felony predatory sexual assault against a child younger than 13.

Cronin, who has five children with his fiancée, was being held at Schenectady County Jail without bail, WRGB reported.