By Steve Mosco
A public school teacher was arrested Monday night and charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, the Police Department said.
Police said Daniel Reilly, 36, was arrested at his Forest Hills home and charged with a total of 12 counts of rape and seven counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
A city Department of Education spokeswoman said Reilly was an English teacher at IS 237 in Flushing.
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said the suspected sexual relationship went on for nine months and allegedly occurred on multiple occasions at Reilly’s Forest Hills home between August 2012 and April 2013.
“This case is particularly disturbing,” said Brown. “Schools should be safe havens for children. Instead this defendant is accused of sexually preying upon one of his former students and rendezvousing with her at his residence.”
According to the district attorney, Reilly sent his former elementary school pupil text messages in August 2012 asking for sex. It was the victim’s sister who saw the explicit messages and alerted her parents, Brown said.
Bail was set at $30,000 and Reilly was ordered to return to court May 6. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.
The spokeswoman for the DOE said there were no prior incidents involving Reilly and the teacher was immediately reassigned away from the classroom and the school to an administrative office.
“He is a tenured employee, which means he has due process, which includes a hearing,” the spokeswoman said.
Reach reporter Steve Mosco by e-mail at smosco@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
