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There are now a dozen named suspects — nine men and three women — charged in the alleged kidnapping and sex trafficking case of a 14-year-old Patchogue girl who went missing for 25 days amid the holiday season.
Daniel Soto, 36, of Bay Shore pleaded not guilty in Suffolk County First District Court in Central Islip to second-degree rape and endangering the welfare of a child, following his arrest on Friday, court records show. He is the 12th suspect in the case, Newsday reported.
Soto was arraigned before Judge Bernard Cheng, who set bail at $50,000 cash or a $150,000 bond option. The defendant, who also faces several drug possession charges, is due back in court on Tuesday.
Soto allegedly had sex with the teen between Dec. 13-20 aboard a 56-foot boat docked in White Cap Marina in Islip, according to the Newsday report. Following her Dec. 9 disappearance, the girl was allegedly kept on the boat from Dec. 13 until she was found on Jan. 3, authorities said previously.
“Mr. Soto adamantly denies the charges and reserves further comment at this time,” Soto’s defense attorney Katherine Fernandez told Greater Long Island on Saturday. “However, there will be much more to this story.”
Previous arrests
The owner of the boat, Francis Buckheit, 64, was the first suspect arrested in the girl’s 25-day disappearance. Arrested the day after the girl was found, Buckheit is charged with rape and kidnapping.
The other defendants in the case include Alton Harrell, 35, who is alleged to have picked the teen up in his car outside of her home on Dec. 9. From there, prosecutors said, he drove her to a house on Doane Avenue in Bellport and allegedly raped the girl.
Harrell is charged with second-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping.
Additionally, Bunice Knight, 47, of Copiague was charged with rape (he has been released on bail); and Jacquelyn Comiskey, 52, of Bellport and Elizabeth Hunter, 34, of Islip were both charged with child sex trafficking. Daniel Burke, 63, of Bohemia is charged with first-degree kidnapping and second-degree rape, while Islip resident Robert Eccleston, 61, of Islip is charged with second-degree kidnapping and second-degree rape.
Kevin McDonald, 20, of Bellport was arraigned last week on charges of second-degree rape and endangering the welfare of a child.
Earlier this week, Deer Park 42-year-old Deshaun McClean, an aide at the psychiatric facility where the teen is being treated and cared for, was charged with criminal sexual conduct for allegedly touching the girl in private areas on numerous occasions and also watching her engage in sexual activity — in the facility, Newsday reported previously.
10th and 11th suspects arraigned Thursday
Most recently — on Thursday — Ralph Knowles, 63, of Brentwood pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted rape, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child, according to court records. Rebecca Browell, 48, who lives with Knowles, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to endangering the welfare of a child and a bevy of drug charges.
Knowles and Browell were the 10th and 11th suspects arrested in connection with the Patchogue girl’s case, Newsday reported.
All of the defendants in the case have pleaded not guilty. Several are scheduled to be back in court this week.
Greater Long Island is not identifying the girl because authorities say she is a victim of a sex crime.
Top photo: Mugshots of 10 of the 12 suspects allegedly involved in the kidnapping, rape and sex trafficking case of a 14-year-old Patchogue girl, who went missing for 25 days. Top row, from left: Rebecca Browell, 48, of Brentwood; Ralph Knowles, 63, of Brentwood; Daniel Burke, 63, of Bohemia; Bunice Knight, 47, of Copiague; and Elizabeth Hunter, 34, of Islip. Bottom row, from left: Alton Harrell, 35, of Bellport; Francis Buckheit, 64, of East Islip; Robert Eccleston, 61, of Islip; Kevin McDonald, 20, of Bellport; and Jacquelyn Comiskey, 52, of Bellport (Images provided by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office).
