A Long Island man reportedly pleaded guilty to sexually abusing eight young children aged from three to 10 years, enrolled at the unlicensed daycare his wife ran from their home.
According to Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney, Angel Tacuri admitted to sexually abusing the children between 2010 and 2015 at home in Patchogue. He was initially charged and indicted in June 2021 with sexually abusing six children; however, two more victims have since been traced. Prosecutors previously claimed that two of the victims were related to Tacuri, while others were from families that paid for care.
Tacuri was first arrested in January in connection with the abuse of a relative. After three additional victims came forward, including another relative and two girls reportedly enrolled at the day care, Tacuri was arrested again in May and charged with abuse.
Tacuri, 52, appeared in a Riverhead courtroom on Wednesday after a grand jury returned an indictment on charges including forcible sexual abuse and child endangerment of the young girls. "This defendant exploited these innocent child victims for his own depraved gratification through the access available to him at his wife's unlicensed day care center," said Tierney.
"No guilty plea will ever ameliorate the trauma inflicted on these victims, but at the very least, this plea holds him responsible for his actions and prevents him from causing more harm to others."
Tacuri is an immigrant in the United Stated living on a green card; he is originally from Ecuador. He pleaded guilty to six counts of sex crimes. He will reportedly be sentenced on June 16 to 20 years in prison, according to Tierney. Tacuri faced up to 50 years in prison had he been convicted on all 15 counts. Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini said a relative, who is now 18, came forward in late 2021 and reported that she was abused beginning when she was seven years old.
"This is a highly disturbing case," Sini said. "This was a case where the community and the press helped identify victims of sex crimes. This is a parent's worst nightmare. Entrusting their children to the care of another adult, only to have ... your child sexually abused," she added. According to reports, in some cases, Tacuri lured his victims to play a game with him, then abused them, and offered a prize afterward. "The defendant took advantage of the position he was placed into by the victims' parents as a caretaker to these children," Sini said.
Police said they are still investigating if Tacuri's wife has information and knowledge of the abuse. Authorities are still on the lookout for other victims. "As parents, we need to remain vigilant and doing proper due diligence when leaving our children with other adults," Sini said.
