Kiryas Joel Raid: Fed Probe Linked to Video of Principal

Journal News
May 13, 2016

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/new-york/2016/05/13/kiryas-joel-raid-sex-abuse-investigation/84326950/

A federal probe in the village of Kiryas Joel is focusing on child abuse allegations at a village school and how authorities responded to them, a law enforcement source told The Journal News on Friday.

FBI agents on Thursday executed search warrants at the United Talmudical Academy school buildings and at a trailer that houses the Department of Public Safety on the outskirts of the village. They spent about four hours in each location and left with boxes of documents and equipment.

The raids came a week after two videos were posted on the Internet showing a school principal in close physical contact with young male students.

The videos, purportedly taken several months ago, came from a ceiling camera in the office of the 67-year-old principal. The identity of those who hid the camera and leaked the videos has not been revealed publicly.

The school’s Board of Directors issued a statement this week defending the principal as a well-regarded, longtime educator in the village and insisting that no abuse occurred.

FBI and local law enforcement agents sieze evidence from the public safety building on Schunnemunk Rd. in Kiryas Joel on Thursday, May 12, 2016. (Photo: John Meore/The Journal News)

The principal has not returned numerous calls over the past week and his wife said last week he had nothing to say to a reporter. A neighbor on Thursday said the couple was away, but the law enforcement source said the principal was at the school when the raids occurred and has continued working at the school since the controversy erupted last week.

On May 2, the state police launched an investigation in conjunction with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the county Child Abuse Unit after a call to the state child-abuse hotline directed them to the first video that had been posted online.

State police Major Joseph Tripodo, the Troop F commander, said a similar video investigated in the fall did not result in criminal charges. That probe was conducted by the child abuse unit, which is supervised by the state police.

While federal agents were assisted Thursday by District Attorney’s investigators from Orange and Sullivan counties, there was no involvement by the state police.

Last week Tripodo said the earlier probe involved a "similar" video. He has since not elaborated on that or explained whether state police are taking a new look at the earlier video.

Tripodo said Thursday that he knew of no connection between the videos and the federal raids taking place in the village. On Friday he would not say whether the FBI had reached out to state police to inquire about their investigation.

"Anything involving the FBI and its investigation you'd have to ask the FBI," he said.

Moses Witriol, Kiryas Joel's public safety director, also could not be reached for comment Friday. Someone who answered the phone at the public safety department referred calls to Ari Felberman, who handles government relations for the village. He did not return a phone message.

On Thursday, the village issued a statement saying officials there had "fully cooperated" with the requests made by law enforcement officials while they were "onsite" at the public safety building.