By Sadef Ali Kully
A 63-year-old Corona man has been charged with sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in the basement of a Ozone Park mosque, the Queens district attorney said.
Md Uddin, 63, of 97th Street in Corona, was charged last Friday with sexual abuse of a child under 11 years old and acting in a manner injurious to a child under the age of 17, according to the DA.
According to the criminal complaint, Uddin approached the 10-year-old victim in the basement of the Fultoli Jame Masjid Mosque at 84-05 101st Ave. a little before 1 p.m. on Aug. 27. He allegedly placed his arm around her shoulder and took her to a corner of the basement.
Then Uddin allegedly hugged her from behind, then grabbed and squeezed her breasts over and under her clothing while allegedly stating, “Does this feel good? Do you like this?” Then he allegedly kissed her about the forehead and cheeks while stating, “Don’t tell anyone about this.”
“These are serious accusations in which an alleged sexual predator stalked his victim in a place of worship and, if true, cannot go unpunished,” DA Richard Brown said.
Fultoli Jame Masjid Mosque had its grand opening last year in September and largely caters to the Bangladeshi Muslim population in Ozone Park.
The case came to light when the victim went home and told a family member, who then contacted authorities.
According to the criminal complaint, police from the 103rd Precinct saw video surveillance of the incident. Police said the video showed Uddin kissing and holding the victim in the corner of the basement.
Police also said when they approached Uddin, he said he grabbed her because she was about to fall from the stairs and that his cheek may have touched her cheek, according to the criminal complaint.
The judge granted a temporary order of protection and bail was set for $40,000, which was not posted. If convicted, Uddin faces up to seven years in prison, the DA said.
Reach Reporter Sadef Ali Kully by e-mail at skull
