Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini has announced the indictment of a Patchogue man, whose wife is a child care provider, for allegedly sexually abusing six children.
Angel Tacuri, 52, is charged with three counts of Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the First Degree, a class B felony; three counts of Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, a class B felony; three counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a class D felony; and six counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a class A misdemeanor.
“This is a parent’s worst nightmare: to entrust your child to the care of another adult and have that child sexually abused,” District Attorney Sini said. “As a father, my heart goes out to these victims. The defendant took advantage of the position he was placed into by the victims’ parents and took advantage of his position as a caretaker to these children. These were heinous acts, and my Office will hold this defendant accountable.”
“This suspect preyed on children in his wife’s care, taking advantage of his access, and created every parent’s worst nightmare,” Suffolk County Police Acting Commissioner Stuart Cameron said. “I commend the bravery of the victims for coming forward and we will continue to investigate with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office to determine if there are additional victims.”
Tacuri was arrested on Jan. 14 for allegedly sexually abusing a female victim beginning in 2010 when she was seven years old. Following the arrest, in May 2021, three additional victims came forward to report alleged sexual abuse by Tacuri. Further investigation was conducted by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and Suffolk County Police Department’s Special Victims Section, which resulted in the identification of two additional victims.
Tacuri allegedly abused the six victims between 2010 and 2014 when the children were between the ages of three to nine years old. Several of the victims had been in the care of Tacuri’s wife at a daycare she ran out of their residence in Patchogue.
District Attorney Sini urged any additional victims to please contact the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office at 631-853-4161 or the Suffolk County Police Department’s Special Victims Section at 631-852-6531.
Tacuri was arraigned on the indictment today by Suffolk County Acting Supreme Court Justice Chris Ann Kelley and was remanded without bail. Tacuri is being represented by Gerard Donnelly and is due back in court on July 21.
If convicted of the top counts, Tacuri faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Crystal Igneri, of the Child Abuse & Domestic Violence Bureau.
A criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.