An alleged sexual abuse victim claims she had a sinister encounter with the now-politically influential Suffolk County Conservative Party chairman who is on trial.
Ed Walsh is accused of falsifying timesheets and collecting thousands of dollars for hours he did not work.
Mary Salins says she has been waiting more than three decades to tell her story. According to her, Walsh -- a freshman football player at the University of Maryland at the time -- sexually assaulted her in 1984.
News 12 spoke with Salins via Skype from her home in Maryland. The interview was set up by Parents for Megan's Law, a victim's rights group. Salins says that during the ordeal, she was walking on campus with her then-boyfriend, who she says was knocked down by Walsh.
Documents show that Walsh was arrested and charged with a fourth-degree sex offense. He served 12 months of probation and had his records expunged.
Salins says she never knew if or how Walsh was punished, and that she just tried to move on with her life.
The federal trial against Walsh is nearing an end, but at no point was the sex offense, his arrest or sentence ever mentioned. That's because the judge presiding over the case refused to allow prosecutors to introduce it.
News 12 reached out to Walsh's attorney, William Wexler, for a response. He says, "Mr. Walsh denies the allegation and the matter was dismissed."