A homeless man has been charged with sexually abusing two South Ozone Park girls in separate incidents, District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced Tuesday.
Lee Samuel, 25, is currently awaiting arraignment on charges of a first-degree criminal sexual act, endangering the welfare of a child and forcible touching.
The hunt for the suspect had the Queens neighborhood on edge since last week when the man allegedly had sexual contact with the seven-year-old girls.
The incidents happened within just hours of and approximately two miles away from each other on Wednesday, May 1.
According to the criminal complaints, said Brown, the suspect approached the first victim as she was tying her shoe on the sidewalk and tapped her on her buttocks.
Several hours later Samuel allegedly came up to his second victim and pretended that he wanted to play a game with her. He then exposed himself to the girl and engaged in a sexual act with her.
“The defendant is accused of being a sexual predator. Such an allegation makes him a threat to children and a clear and present danger to society in general. Such conduct, if proven true, cannot go unpunished,” said Brown
Samuel faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
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