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An aide at a state-run psychiatric facility in Suffolk County has been arrested for allegedly having criminal sexual conduct with the 14-year-old Patchogue girl who is under the care of the facility after she was allegedly kidnapped and sex trafficked during a 25-day disappearance, Newsday reported.
Police arrested Deshaun McClean, 42, of Deer Park on Monday for incidents that happened inside the facility between Jan. 9 and Jan. 28, court records show.
“This is just absolutely devastating,” the girl’s mother told Greater Long Island, reacting to the charges against McClean. “I’m relying on other people to help my daughter, and this happens. I’m at a loss.”
The girl’s father, who has custody of the girl and led a highly publicized independent search for the teen while she was missing from Dec. 9 to Jan. 3, has not yet responded to a request for comment.
McClean pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal sexual conduct with a person incapable of consent, as well as endangering the welfare of a child at his arraignment Tuesday in Suffolk First District Court in Central Islip, court records indicate. All of the charges are misdemeanors.
McClean is accused of touching the girl in private areas on numerous occasions and also watching her engage in sexual activity, Newsday reported, citing the case’s charging documents. The report stated further that according to court records Suffolk Police investigators said the arrest is based on video surveillance footage from the facility and a statement the girl gave to police Feb. 1.
State payroll records show McClean has worked as a mental health therapist aide for the state at a children’s psychiatric center.
Court records indicate he was released Tuesday on $5,000 cash bail.
Previously, eight suspects — six men and two women – were charged with sex crimes relating to the girl’s disappearance. Some of the individuals arrested face kidnapping charges as well.
Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Seven of the eight are being held in Suffolk County jails; one has posted bail and was released.
The most recent person arrests among the eight suspects was Kevin McDonald, 20, of Medford. He was arraigned last week on charges of second-degree rape and endangering the welfare of a child.
Earlier arrests in the girl’s disappearance case include Francis Buckheit, 64, of East Islip. Authorities said the girl was found alone Jan. 3 on his 56-foot boat docked in Islip.
She had reportedly been kept on Buckheit’s boat for about three weeks. Buckheit is being held on rape and kidnapping charges.
Additionally Bunice Knight, 47, of Copiague was charged with rape; and Jacquelyn Comiskey, 52, of Bellport and Elizabeth Hunter, 34, of Islip were both charged with child sex trafficking. Comiskey is accused of trading the girl to Knight in exchange for crack cocaine.
Daniel Burke, 63, of Bohemia; Robert Eccleston, 61, of Islip; and Alton Harrell, 35, of Bellport are charged with raping the teen early on during her disappearance. Court records indicate, Newsday reported previously, is accused of initially picking the teen up in his car in front of her home and bringing her to an abandoned house in Bellport, where he allegedly raped her.
Nine defendants are now criminally charged in the missing Patchogue girl’s case. Additionally, three other individuals have been convicted or are being held on criminal charges in cases where the same girl was a victim.
Greater Long Island is not identifying the girl because she is a minor and the victim of a sex crime.
Top photo: GLI file photo.
