Apr 12, 2008 7:30 am US/Eastern
NYPD Officer Indicted On Sex Abuse Charges
Accused Of Abusing 27- And 18-Year-Old Women
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Kathryn Collins' guard is up against an authority she used to trust, after a New York city cop is charged with sex abuse.
"Oh it's awful," said Collins. "Somebody who people are supposed to be able to trust, who you're taught as a child to go to for help when you need assistance. Somebody who takes advantage of that. It's terrible."
Added Karuna Srivastav: "It certainly makes you … I guess it makes it harder to trust the system."
Prosecutors say on March 26, 39-year-old police officer Wilfredo Rosario, assigned to the 26th Precinct in Harlem, was in uniform when he approached a 27-year-old woman and her child with promises to get her a job. He got her contact information and four days later, while off duty, he went to her home, asked her to get in his car, drove to a secluded area on Riverside Drive, and sexually abused her twice before driving her home.
Investigators say while conducting their investigation they determined officer Rosario had also tried to force a girl to have sex with him when he found her and a boyfriend here in Riverside Park after the park had closed.
Investigators say that incident happened in 2002, and Rosario said he would not tell the girl's parents or give her a summons if she had sex with him, but the girl refused his offer.
Women living in the area say the allegations have opened their eyes.
"Having the knowledge after hearing these stories, definitely, I would be a little more vigilant, a little bit more aware, a little bit unfortunately more uncomfortable being alone with a cop, especially at night," Valerie Davidkova said.
Officer Rosario has been charged with sex abuse, official misconduct, unlawful imprisonment and attempted coercion. He faces up to seven years in prison and is being held on $10,000 bail.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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