Bay Shore bus driver, church worker arrested in child sexual abuse case, cops say

A Bay Shore man who works as both a school bus driver and at a local Catholic church has been arrested on charges that he sexually abused two children, police said.

Cops said 75-year-old Bernardo Amaya of Bay Shore was arrested Tuesday at his home following an investigation by Suffolk Police Special Victims Section detectives.

Investigators allege Amaya, a driver for Educational Bus Inc. in West Babylon, inappropriately touched an 8-year-old girl in August.

Further, police later determined Amaya, who is additionally employed by St. Luke’s Roman Catholic Church in Brentwood, had also inappropriately touched another victim in May and June of 2007, when that victim was 4 years old, police said. The victim is now 22.

Detectives said Amaya is believed to have come into contact with the children at his home, where a family member worked as a childcare provider.

Amaya is charged with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child. He was being held at Suffolk Police’s Third Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday at First District Court in Central Islip.

Detectives are asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim, or who has information about the case, to contact the Suffolk County Police Special Victims Section at 631.852.6162.

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