Victims Were Nine- And 10-Year-Olds
A 30-year-old teacher’s aide has been charged with sexually abusing six female students on multiple occasions between November 2011 and February at the Jamaica public school where he is employed.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown identified the defendant as Brett Picou, 30, of Beach 26th Street in Far Rockaway, a paraprofessional at P.S. 52, located at 178-37 146th Terrace in Jamaica.
Picou was charged in six separate criminal complaints with seven counts of first-degree sexual abuse, seven counts of forcible touching, one count of second-degree course of sexual conduct against a child and six counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
“I am sad to report, once again, that a professional employed in our public schools has been accused of inappropriately touching his students,” Brown said. “The charges in cases of this nature are disturbing on a number of different levels. When parents deliver their kids into the custody of teaching professionals they have a right to assume that they will not be abused. The alleged actions of [Picou] can never be tolerated.”
According to the criminal charges, Picou hugged nine- and 10- year-old female students and moved his hands down their backs and then touched their buttocks on multiple occasions between Nov. 1, 2011 and Feb. 15 of this year. In addition, it is alleged that Picou also slapped the buttocks of one child and held the buttocks of other female students as they walked up the stairs.
Brown said the case came to light school personnel overheard the students talking about the touching and notified the NYPD.
The investigation was conducted by Det. John Phelan of the NYPD Queens Special Victims Squad.
Assistant District Attorney Alison L. Andrews of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Marjory D. Fisher, bureau chief, and Kenneth M. Appelbaum and Lucinda C. Suarez, deputy bureau chiefs, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Charles A. Testagrossa and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders.
It was noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
