Cops arrested an 18-year-old who they say sexually assaulted his fellow teen crew member twice in just more than a week aboard a boat docked in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
The 17-year-old victim said she and the suspect were working together on the Baylander IX-514, the decommissioned Navy ship docked at Pier 5, at 1 pm on Oct. 5. She showed the suspect a $5 tip a customer had given her, and he grabbed her by the crotch and tried to yank the money from her hand, according to a police report. She bent over to protect the money and the guy tried to rip her pants off, police said. The victim tried to escape by running below deck, but the suspect grabbed her and pushed her to the floor, officers reported. He continued to sexually assault her for an hour until she broke free, prosecutors said.
The two were back at work eight days later at 1 pm when the same man stole her cellphone and sexually assaulted her again when she tried to get it back, according to the authorities. He pushed her legs to her chest, then tried pulling her off of a chair by her legs, pulling her pants down in the process, a report states. The suspect then grabbed her by the neck and held her down until she cried out that he was going to break it, cops recounted.
He released his grip on the girl’s neck but grabbed a hold of her body and carried her to another room, where he continued his attack, cops said.
What happened next is unclear in the police narrative, but the victim got her phone back a few hours later, according to the NYPD.
The victim reported the alleged attacks on Oct. 24 and officers arrested the suspect the same day. Prosecutors charged him with sexual abuse and forcible touching and a judge released him without bail.
The Baylander arrived in July and was originally slated to motor out of Brooklyn’s front yard in September. It has been offering tours and serving as a training boat for the New York Harbor School.
