Timothy Hill Ranch man accused of raping a 16-year-old resident last year pleads guilty to misdemeanor charge

A Timothy Hill’s Children’s Farm employee arrested last year on multiple felony charges for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old resident of a Riverhead group home pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge on Nov. 26 and faces sentencing next month.

Riverhead Police arrested Manuel Roias, 52, of Miller Place, on Sept. 21, 2023, on two counts of third-degree rape, two third-degree sexual offenses and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child. he said Press release In that case. Police said the investigation determined that Roias had sexual intercourse with the girl both on and off campus for several months starting in March 2023.

Roias was indicted by a grand jury on 22 felonies, 18 of which were class E felonies, according to court records. He pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment in Suffolk County Criminal Court on October 4, 2023, and was released on bail.

On Nov. 26, Roias pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to $1,000. Roias is expected to appear in court again on January 23 for sentencing.

Roias’ attorney, John LoTurco, did not return a call seeking more details about the circumstances of Roias’ plea. He said in an email that Roias “accepts responsibility for his actions and hopes his plea will facilitate the complainant’s healing process.”

A spokesman for Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney did not respond to emails requesting information and comment on the case.

In an email this week, Timothy Hill Children’s Farm Executive Director Thaddaeus Hill declined to answer questions about Roias’ current employment status at the facility. Farm he told Newsday A statement released after Roias’ arrest last year said the facility learned of the allegations against Roias on Aug. 15, 2023, and reported it to the state’s Justice Center for the Protection of Persons with Special Needs in accordance with state-mandated procedures. Roias was “immediately reassigned” and “later suspended” after learning of the allegations, according to the facility’s statement to the newspaper.

Timothy Hill Children’s Farm is a residential group home and transitional housing facility for youth and young adults operating in Riverhead since 1980.

Timothy Hill Agreed to pay $1.7 million to settle three cases It was brought in 2019 by former residents under New York’s Child Victims Act, alleging sexual, physical and emotional abuse while living at the facility at different times in the 1980s and 1990s.

non-profit organization Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection After accumulating more than $4.8 million in debt in October 2023, according to the organization’s bankruptcy petition filed in October 2023. Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code allows the debtor to reorganize or restructure his business while still retaining possession of his assets. and continues its activities. Timothy Hill disclosed settlements in bankruptcy court filings in which he agreed to pay $566,666 to each of the three plaintiffs. The final decision on the bankruptcy case was made in federal bankruptcy court in Central Islip on Nov. 4 last month.