Oswego landlord accused of sexual offenses to appear in court later this month

By Gianna Cowell and Asher Slayden

OSWEGO, N.Y. — Douglas Waterbury, 65, of Oswego, is scheduled to appear in court on April 27, following his March 3 arrest over alleged sexual abuse, the latest in a series of arrests over the last several years.

Police began investigating Waterbury on June 5, 2025, after they received a report alleging that Waterbury committed a sexual offense on June 4.

An Oswego County Grand Jury would eventually indict him on charges of attempted witness bribery, attempted rape in the third degree and patronizing a person for prostitution in the third degree, leading to the March 3 arrest.

Separately, Waterbury has also been charged with fourth-degree stalking, a misdemeanor.

Waterbury has owned property in Oswego since at least 1990, along with entertainment venues throughout upstate New York, such as Santa’s Village in Wilmington, amusement park rides in Sylvan Beach and the Sterling Renaissance Festival grounds.

The allegations against Waterbury in Oswego and Fulton also stretch back years. Accusations contained in a 2016 lawsuit date at least as far back as 2012, but some Facebook users claim they have had negative interactions with Waterbury dating to 1988.

In 2019, Waterbury paid $850,000 to settle the 2016 lawsuit, which was brought forward by a number of accusers, including Sally Santangelo of CNY Fair Housing.

Fae Jordal was another accuser in the 2016 lawsuit.

“I filed a police report in 2012 directly after the incident,” Jordal said.

She alleges that since then, Waterbury has attempted to intimidate her in various ways, including by sitting outside of her house in his car. Jordal claims her last contact with him occurred last summer, when, according to her, she chased Waterbury off of her property.

For their part, the Oswego City Police Department seem to be well aware of Waterbury’s alleged activities.

“He is known by all of our officers here,” said Oswego City Police Department Captain Bryan Thompson. “Any time we get rumors of another victim, we reach out to see what has occurred.”

Since the 2019 settlement, Waterbury has been arrested multiple times, first on charges of public lewdness and patronizing a prostitute in 2020, and then on charges of second-degree criminal contempt 2022.

The 2022 arrest followed a $15,000 fine issued against Waterbury in 2021, after a federal judge found he had repeatedly violated a court order requiring him to refrain from contacting tenants of his rental properties.

His wife, Carol Waterbury, was also found to have violated the order by managing and visiting Oswego properties. However, in 2024, the court’s ability to penalize violations ended.

In addition to his alleged sexual offenses, Waterbury has also faced controversy involving Matt Gordon, a longtime employee of the Sterling Renaissance Festival. Gordon alleges that Waterbury violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by refusing to allow Gordon’s service dog on the property, and claims he was subsequently wrongfully terminated.

“I think he poses a threat to anyone,” Thompson said. “I wouldn’t bring my family or anyone I know around his properties.”

“Never look at apartments alone,” Jordal said. “Bring someone with you, preferably a man.”

Waterbury is expected to be represented by defense attorney Stephen Sercu when he appears in court later this month.