Nine individuals from Long Island were brought before the court on Thursday in connection with the disturbing case of the kidnapping and abuse of a 14-year-old girl. The grand jury indictment against them included 75 counts of sex trafficking and rape.
Alton Harrell, 35, entered a plea of not guilty after being identified as a key figure in the heinous abuse suffered by Emmarae Gervasi. She was missing for 25 days and allegedly subjected to drug consumption, repeated rape, and exploitation by Harrell and his cohorts, as reported by Newsday.
Assistant Suffolk County District Attorney Dana Castaldo stated in court, “This defendant initiated a chain of events by victimizing someone he had known since childhood.”
Harrell, who allegedly engaged in a sexual relationship with the teenager since 2024, faces charges of kidnapping and rape, with a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
In addition to Harrell, the following individuals were charged: Francis Buckheit, 64, of East Islip; Daniel Burke, 63, of Bohemia; Elizabeth Hunter, 34, of Islip; Jacquelyn Comiskey, 52, of Bellport; Robert Eccleston, 61, of Islip; Bunice Knight, 47, of Copiague; Kevin McDonald, 20, of Medford; and Ralph Knowles, 63, of Brentwood.
Similarly to Harrell, the other eight defendants pleaded not guilty during their court appearance.
Harrell allegedly picked up Gervasi from her Patchogue residence on the night of December 9 and transported her to an abandoned house in Bellport, where he reportedly exchanged crack for sexual favors.
McDonald is accused of sexually assaulting the girl in his vehicle before taking her to a Bohemia motel after leaving Harrell’s residence. He is facing charges of rape and endangering the welfare of a child.
Burke allegedly kept the teen in his mobile home for over a day, while Buckheit was identified as the owner of the boat from which Gervasi was eventually rescued by her father, Frank. Both face similar charges to Harrell.
Eccleston reportedly held and raped the girl in a detached garbage container between December 10 and 13 before she was taken aboard the 56-foot boat. He is also charged with second-degree kidnapping.
While on the boat, multiple men are said to have sexually assaulted her, with Hunter and Comiskey accused of child sex trafficking.
Knight allegedly exchanged drugs with Comiskey for sexual activities with the teen at his residence on January 2. He is being charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Knowles is facing charges of rape and misdemeanors related to sexual abuse, forcible touching, and endangering the welfare of a child.
Police arrested three additional individuals involved in the case, although they were not named in the indictment.
Among them is Daniel Soto, a 36-year-old man from Bay Shore who was apprehended for second-degree rape and endangering the welfare of a child during Gervasi’s disappearance. DeShaun McClean, a 42-year-old worker, allegedly groped the teen while she was at a state mental health facility in January. McClean faces charges of criminal sexual contact with a person unable to consent and endangering the welfare of a child.
Rebecca Browell, 48, who resides at the same address as Knowles, was also arrested after selling drugs to an undercover officer, as detailed by Newsday.
Prosecutors allege that she supplied Gervasi with drugs while being aware of the teenager’s involvement in sexual activities with adult men.
