Staten Island Advance
March 23, 2011
http://www.silive.com/southshore/index.ssf/2011/03/staten_island_special-needs_ca.html
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| Francesco Zaffuto, 19, of Huguenot, is led to court by detectives. |
A former special-needs camp counselor is accused of forcing an 8-year-old autstic boy to perform sexual acts on him on three occassions -- and keeping "trophy photos" of the incident on his computer.
Prosecutors today unsealed a shocking 104-count indictment against Francesco Zaffuto, 19, of Huguenot, who worked in 2008 as a counselor at a summer camp at the Mission of the Immaculte Virgin at Mount Lorretto, Pleasant Plains. Among the most-serious charges are three counts of first-degree criminal sex act.
The alleged victim was one of the youngsters under his care, and was unable to verbally communicate the abuse due to his condition. Authorities say the abuse occurred on three instances.
According to District Attorney Daniel Donovan, the photo depicting the abuse was taken with an iPhone and discovered on Zaffuto's computer. Authorities say they were able to trace the phone and determine when and where the photo was taken -- in a bathroom at Mount Lorretto during the summer camp.
The courtroom at Supreme Court in St. George was packed with the parents of special-needs children.
"He took trophy photos of these illegal acts and kept them on his personal computer for 2 1/2 years," Assistant District Attorney Yolanda L. Rudich said.
The suspect was ordered held on $750,000 bail. His next court appearance is April 28.
Zaffutto was arrested in January and charged with possessing and promoting child pornography. The sex abuse charges came once authorities expanded their investigation. He surrendered himself to authorities this morning.
Zaffuto had uploaded more than 2,000 images to the blogging hub ning.com in November 2008, and detectives found printed-out photos at his home in the 100 block of Eylandt Street in Huguenot, according to police sources.
In some of the photos found, the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin logo was visible on the clothing of more than one child, said a source with knowledge of the investigation.
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