His Alleged Underage Date Was Undercover Cop
An apparent attempt to hook up with a teenage girl put a high school teacher from Forest Hills in handcuffs amid an undercover police sex sting last Wednesday, Mar. 26, authorities reported.
Law enforcement sources identified the suspect as Monsur Khan, 30, of 108th Street, who teaches earth science at the Hillside Arts & LettersAcademy in Jamaica.
According to police, Khan made contact online with someone whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, who turned out to be an undercover NYPD detective assigned to the Major Case Squad’s Vice Enforcement Team.
Reportedly, police booked Khan last Wednesday at a location within the 109th Precinct’s confines where he arranged to meet up with the purported teenager.
Khan was released last Thursday, Mar. 27, on $15,000 bail after being arraigned before Queens Criminal Court Judge Gia Morris on charges of second-degree attempted rape, second-degree attempted criminal sexual act, first-degree attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors, attempted endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest.
Morris ordered him to return to court on Apr. 15. If convicted, Khan faces up to four years behind bars, according to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
Reportedly, the Department of Education suspended Khan without pay pending further investigation.
“Despite numerous publicized arrests for exactly this type of alleged behavior, sexual predators continue to be relentless in searching the Internet for victims,” Brown said in a statement. “Do not let your child become one of them. Parents must monitor their children’s online activities to ensure that they are not being lured into dangerous situations.”
Between Feb. 12 and Mar. 25, law enforcement sources said, Khan allegedly sent numerous instant messages to the purported 14-yearold girl; prosecutors said many of the messages included graphic sexual content.
In one instance, authorities noted, Khan allegedly invited the teenager to meet him for a sexual encounter.
The suspect came to the location within the 109th Precinct’s confines last Wednesday to meet with the girl. Upon arriving, he was reportedly met by a detective posing as the teenager.
Prosecutors said Khan and the detective talked briefly, and then he offered to take her to his car. Moments later, he was apprehended by other officers.
In statements made to police, law enforcement sources said, Khan allegedly admitted to exchanging messages with the purported girl about having sex in a hotel, but that he planned to only take her out for pizza during their first encounter.
Det. Paul Byrne of the NYPD Major Case Team of Vice Enforcement conducted the investigation under the supervision of Lt. Marcus Morales and Sgt. Sammy Melisi and the overall supervision of Deputy Inspector Anthony Favale, coordinator of vice enforcement, and Chief Thomas Purtell, chief of the Organized Crime Control Bureau.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jeanine R. Diehl and Senior Assistant District Attorney Kateri A. Gasper of the DA’s Special Proceedings Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Anthony M. Communiello, bureau chief, Oscar W. Ruiz, deputy bureau chief, and Robert D. Alexander, Computer Crimes Unit chief.
