WHITE PLAINS, NY — Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced today that Nelson Acevedo, 42, of 1 Beaufort Place, New Rochelle, New York was arraigned on a Felony Complaint charging him with one count of Rape in the Third Degree, a class “E” Felony and two counts of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree, class “B” Misdemeanors.
Between February 1, 2013 and July 31, 2013, the defendant who has a Master of Social Work (MSW) and was employed at the The Guidance Center of Westchester in New Rochelle, engaged in various forms of inappropriate sexual contact with a patient.
The Center is a state certified facility that offers various forms of counseling services.
On two separate occasions during counseling sessions at The Guidance Center, the defendant sexually abused the victim by having her touch him in a sexually explicit manner.
On a third occasion, at his place of residence, ostensibly during a counseling session, the defendant raped the victim.
The victim was incapable of consent because she was a patient and the defendant was a mental health care provider and the sexual acts occurred during a treatment session.
In June, Governor Cuomo announced the opening of the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs, a new state agency charged with investigating cases of abuse and neglect in the special needs community.
This case investigation originated with a call to their statewide hotline.
The allegations were jointly investigated by the Justice Center, New Rochelle Police and the Sex Crimes Bureau of the District Attorney’s office.
The defendant was subsequently arrested by the New Rochelle police.
“Children, the elderly and people with special needs are some of society’s most vulnerable. To have the same people who they seek out for help and protection exploit and abuse them is the worst type of betrayal,” said District Attorney Janet DiFiore. “The ability to quickly be able to report the abuse, as in this case through the Justice Center’s hotline, enables investigations to be launched, subsequent prosecutions to move forward and to ultimately hold the perpetrators accountable.”
Bail was set at $100,000 cash or bond.
The defendant’s next court date is August 19th, 2013.
He faces a maximum sentence of four years in state prison on the top charge.
Assistant District Attorney Fredric Green, Chief of the Sex Crimes Bureau is prosecuting the case.
