NY Man Sexually Abused Girl In His Care; Punched Her Brother When He Tried To Stop It: Police

A New York man, who ran an unlicensed daycare with his girlfriend, has been arrested after being accused of sexually abusing a little girl who was in his care.

Police said Tuesday that 49-year-old John Ferrara of Green Island was arrested following an investigation into the crime carried out against the minor girl over a period of time, News 10 reported.

Ferrara's girlfriend Anna Pratt, 50, was also arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Police said she failed to report the abuse despite being aware of her boyfriend's acts.

The investigation revealed that Ferrara also physically assaulted the victim’s brother when he tried to save his sister. Ferrara punched the boy after he spoke up, said authorities.

"We have an individual who is basically a predator and he’s preying on one young girl within this business. But it’s even more disturbing to know that the business owner knew this, was aware of this, and distracted the young girl’s brother so he could prey on this young child," Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple was quoted as saying by the news outlet.

Sheriff Apple said the daycare was shut down just after the incident. The couple didn't have any prior arrest records, he added.

Ferrara was charged with two counts of predatory sexual assault against a child, one count of assault in the third degree, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. He was arraigned by the Town of Green Island Court and remanded with no bail.

On the other hand, Ferrara’s girlfriend Pratt was arraigned and released on her own recognizance.

Meanwhile, Lori Walker, who works with the Albany County Crime Victim and Sexual Violence Center, told News 10 that this was not an isolated crime. "It’s always heart-wrenching to hear it happen especially when you trust your child with someone to take care of them," said Walker.

San Jose witnessed a similar incident recently. A 36-year-old man, who ran an in-home daycare with his wife, was arrested for sexually abusing children entrusted to their care. The daycare was operational for a decade and closed down in 2017.

Police said a case was registered after two victims came forward alleging that John Mario Cortez abused them when they were as young as three. Following the accusations, Cortez was criminally charged on June 14.