POLICE OFFICER CHARGED WITH COERCION, OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT AND SEXUAL ABUSE

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the arrest of a 14 year veteran of the New York City Police Department on charges of coercion, official misconduct and sexual abuse stemming from incidents which allegedly occurred while he was working as a transit police officer in Queens subway stations.

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as John Pirrello, 39, who, according to the charges, in separate occurrences on August 22nd and August 31st 2000 took women aside as they were coming through turnstiles and led them into isolated areas in the subway stations at Queens Boulevard and 54th Street and 179th Street and Hillside Avenue and threatened to give them summonses unless they complied with his demands. He is charged with multiple counts of Coercion in the Second Degree, Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree and Official Misconduct. He faces up to two years in prison if convicted.

According to charges, the defendant, while acting in his official capacity, approached one woman while she was trying to get a stroller and four children through a turnstile. It is alleged that she had her token in hand but had not deposited it when the defendant threatened to issue her a summons. The defendant then allegedly asked for her home address and phone number then directed her to leave the children and accompany him to a remote area where he came very close to her and told her she was very attractive and that if she would agree to return and meet him at a specified time he would not issue a summons. The second woman was allegedly approached after she doubled up in a turnstile when her Metrocard failed to work. It is charged that the defendant asked for her name and address and threatened to issue a summons. He allegedly took her to an isolated area and then touched her breasts with a pen, afterwards releasing her without issuing a summons.

The investigation was carried out by Deputy Inspector James Duffy and Lt. Andrew Smith of the New York City Police Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau. Assistant District Attorney Carmencita N. Gutierrez, Deputy Bureau Chief of the District Attorney’s Integrity Bureau, which is under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney James M. Liander under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco, is in charge of the case.

It should be noted that an arrest is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.