A special education teacher was arrested after allegedly raping one of his 10-year-old students in his car after school.
Anthony Criscuolo told the young girl’s parents that she was being given an academic award and so they gave him permission to drive her to the fictitious ceremony.
Criscuolo, 40, taught special education to fifth graders at P.S. 386 in the Bronx and now the New York City department of education announced plans to fire him as a result of the rape charges.
Punishment pending: He faces rape and predatory sexual assault charges following the alleged incident on Monday
The identity of the 10-year-old girl has not been released given her age and the nature of the crime.
Local station News 12 reports that Criscuolo was arrested for first degree rape and predatory sexual assault at his home in the Van Ness neighborhood on Wednesday.
It is unclear how police found out about the assault, but it reportedly occurred on Monday.
The girl’s parents told police that Criscuolo sent them a letter on official school letterhead asking for permission to take her in his 2010 Dodge Charger to the awards ceremony.
From P.S. 386, he allegedly drove to nearby P.S. 196 which is where the assault is said to have taken place.
News 12 reports that he has a long career of working as a teacher at New York City public schools.
His first position was as a substitute special education teacher at P.S. 178 in February 2002, and then was promoted to a full time position in 2003.
From there, he transferred to one other school- P.S. 498- before being hired at P.S. 386 in 2011.
For now, Newsday reports that he has been reassigned to a non-teaching position while the case is under investigation.
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