A female employee of a state-run juvenile detention facility has been accused of having sexual contact with a 20-year-old resident.
Here's what we know about the arrest:
Employee accused of sexual misconduct
The incident involved the Goshen Secure Center in Orange County, according to New York State Police.
Perla Serrano Rivera, 22, of Walden, Orange County, was charged with:
- Third-degree rape, a felony
- Official misconduct by a public servant performing an illegal function, a misdemeanor
- Second-degree introducing prison contraband, a misdemeanor
The victim, a 20-year-old male resident, "was unable to consent" to the alleged actions "due to the circumstances of their confinement," troopers said.
State officials did not disclose Serrano Rivera's job title. New York State Office of Children and Family Services spokesman Daniel Marans said she was "immediately suspended" after the office became aware of the allegations.
"OCFS has zero tolerance for any mistreatment
of young people in its care," Marans said.
Police did not say when the alleged sexual misconduct occurred. Serrano Rivera was arrested Sept. 3, according to State Police.
What is the Goshen Secure Center?
Located in Orange County, roughly 50 miles northwest of New York City, the Goshen Secure Center is a maximum-security juvenile detention center for males operated by the state Office of Children and Family Services, according to its website.
The facility houses boys who were convicted of violent felonies committed when they were younger than 16. Depending on their sentence, residents may remain at the center until age 21, according to the website.
Full statement from state Office of Children and Family Services
“The New York State Office of Children and Family Services’ highest priority is the safety and well-being of all young people in the juvenile justice system. OCFS has zero tolerance for any mistreatment of young people in its care. When OCFS became aware of allegations of criminal behavior by an employee at Goshen Secure Center against a youth in custody, we immediately reported the matter to the Justice Center and New York State Police and suspended the employee.”
What's next
Serrano Rivera was arraigned in Goshen Town Court last week and remanded to the Orange County Jail. She returned to court for an appearance Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: NY state employee accused of raping resident at juvenile detention center
