Two Suffolk County men accused of raping minors most likely won’t have to register as sex offenders under their plea agreements.
The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office announced the guilty pleas of two men accused of raping minors.
Kwaisi McCorvey pleaded guilty to rape in the third degree and endangering the welfare of a child. Prosecutors say he raped a teen at the Wyandanch Public Library from 2016 to 2021 where he worked as a custodian.
The unnamed victim, who was 16 years old when it happened, has now filed a $30 million lawsuit against the library.
Her attorney, Monte Chandler, held a news conference Friday discussing the reasons for filing a lawsuit.
"I say our children deserve so much more," said Chandler. "All of this could have been avoided if the people of the Wyandanch leadership at the Wyandanch Public Library did the bare minimum of vetting out who they employ."
A former Babylon High School student accused former teacher Timothy Harrison of sexually abusing her at his Oak Beach home in 2013.
He pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child and not to a rape charge. As part of the plea deal, he doesn't have to register as a sex offender.
Suffolk County Crime Victims Center Executive Director Laura Ahearn explained one reason why.
"The victim themselves doesn't want to go down the path of going to a trial so they're willing to allow it to become an endangering the welfare of a child [charge] ," she explained. "But they may not fully understand that the law needs to be changed."
Under New York state law, the misdemeanor crime of endangering the welfare of a child doesn't require people to register as sex offenders, even if they sexually abused a child. It's because there isn't a subsection under the law for those who committed a sex crime.
"What we want to do is change endangering the welfare of a child to have a subsection of the law that would include a hands-on sex offense so that that would be a registerable offense," said Ahearn.
Someone convicted of the crime will be prohibited from working with children in any capacity, including in schools or in daycare facilities.
"We have tried for years to affect change in this law, and it really has fallen on deaf ears. And we're very frustrated by that," said Ahearn.
Per Harrisons plea deal, he did have to suspend his teaching license.
As for McCorvey, the District Attorney's Office tells News 12 that if he doesn't violate his probation, the rape charge will be dropped, and he won't have to register as a sex offender.