Wyoming County District Attorney Donald O'Geen says Joseph Mylniec shot Robert Irvine III in front of Mylniec's home in March because Irvine had threatened to go to police with allegations Mylniec sexually abused him.

O'Geen says his office's investigation uncovered a concerning pattern in Mylniec's behavior going back 20 years while he worked in law enforcement.

"Mylniec had used his position as deputy, sergeant with the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office. He would seek out possible troubled young men by either meeting them at the scene of an incident that they were involved in, helping them out with a charge or speaking with them at the jail,” O’Geen said. “He would also use his position to keep people in line to make sure his secret was safe. People he had befriended were completely afraid of his ability to harm them and when Robbie was murdered, their fears were realized."

Mylniec pleaded guilty to second degree murder Thursday. In exchange for Mylniec's guilty plea, the district attorney's office agreed not to prosecute him on any potential charges it is currently aware of which includes possessing unregistered handguns and interacting with a witness.

Mylniec will be sentenced to 15 years to life in prison and agreed to waive his right to appeal.