Richmond Hill teacher indicted in sexually abusing students

A grand jury has returned an indictment charging a former biology teacher at Cathedral High School with raping three underage students enrolled at the school and sexually molesting two other students. The incidents allegedly took place between April 2005 and February 2007 at various locations in Queens County.
The defendant, Richard Ali, 27, of 91-48 115th Street in Richmond Hill, was formerly employed as a teacher at Cathedral High School, a Catholic college preparatory school for young women located at 350 East 56th Street in Manhattan.
Ali, who was originally arrested in March and April and held on a total of $540,000 bail, was arraigned on a 25-count indictment charging him with one count of second-degree rape, six counts of third-degree rape, one count of second-degree criminal sexual act, five counts of third-degree criminal sexual act, seven counts of third-degree sexual abuse and five counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Griffin increased Ali’s bail to $750,000 and ordered him to return to court on November 15. Ali faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
According to the charges, Ali raped a female student under the age of 16 at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 1, 2005, and then sexually abused her six days later. Ali is also charged with sexually abusing a second underage female student on Friday, November 10, 2006, and then raping and molesting her the following day, and raping her once more eight days later on Saturday, November 18, 2006. It is further alleged that on Saturday, July 1, 2006, the defendant sexually abused a third underage female student.
Ali is further charged with having sexual intercourse in January 2007 with a fourth female student, under the age of 17, in his parked vehicle. It is also alleged that he sexually abused a fifth student, also less than 17 years of age, on February 3, 2007, by rubbing the student’s legs and then putting his hand up her shirt and rubbing her stomach and breasts.
According to District Attorney Brown, an investigation began in March 2007 when one of the students informed a school guidance counselor of the alleged sexual abuse. The guidance counselor, in turn, reported the incident to the school principal, who then reported it to the police.