An Auburn woman convicted of second-degree rape was sentenced Nov. 10 to two years in prison after violating probation by having a Snapchat account.
Starr A. Merritt, 21, also received three years of post-release supervision from Cayuga County Court Judge Jon Budelmann, The Citizen reported.
District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci told the newspaper the probation violation involved Merritt having the social media account. The sentence was agreed upon by defense attorney Ryan Muldoon and Senior Assistant District Attorney Courtney Venditte.
Merritt had been sentenced in March to six months in jail and 10 years of probation following her conviction involving a 14-year-old.
As FingerLakes1 reported when police announced her arrest, the investigation involved an encounter in Auburn’s parking garage in July 2025. The child’s mother contacted police.
A 10-year order of protection requiring Merritt to stay away from the victim remains in effect, Budelmann said.
The judge encouraged Merritt to participate in counseling while incarcerated and avoid contact with minors after her release.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.