Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man who owned a Williamsbridge daycare has been indicted on Predatory Sexual Assault Against a Child and other charges for sexually assaulting a boy, and for possessing child pornography.
District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant, a daycare owner, was supposed to keep children safe, instead he allegedly sexually assaulted a boy in his care. Our Crime Victims Assistance Unit has been working with the child and his family, but he has been scarred for life. The defendant was also indicted for allegedly possessing multiple child pornography files on his computer. His alleged actions are despicable and sickening, and he cannot be caring for children in our community.”
District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Silfredo Castillo Martinez, 32, of Decatur Avenue, was arraigned today on two counts of Predatory Sexual Assault Against a Child, two counts of first Criminal Sexual Act, two counts of second-degree Criminal Sexual Act, first degree Sexual Abuse, two counts of Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance, two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, five counts of Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child, and 12 counts of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. Bail was set at $500,000 cash/$500,000 bond/$500,000 partially secured bond and he is due back in court on September 20, 2022.
On May 3, 2022, authorities of the U.S. Secret Service and NYPD conducted a search inside Lina’s Garden Daycare on 3525 Decatur Avenue, which was owned by the defendant, and seized 30 devices. According to the investigation, Castillo Martinez downloaded 12 child pornography files in his Google Drive account. The files included images and videos of boys between the ages seven and 12, and one child as young as under one year old. The defendant was taken into custody that day.
As investigators continued to look through the files seized, they found among them a photo and video of a child that were taken inside his daycare. According to the investigation, the defendant sexually abused the child and forced the boy to perform sexual acts on him multiple times.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone who may have been a victim of this defendant or has information about victims is encouraged to call the NYPD Bronx Child Abuse Squad at (929) 265-3638.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Carissa Caukin of the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Danielle Pascale and Johanna Hernandez, Deputy Chiefs of the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau, and Mimi Mairs, Chief of the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau, and under the overall supervision of Adrienne Giunta, Deputy Chief of the Special Victims Division, and Joseph Muroff, Chief of the Special Victims Division.
District Attorney Clark thanked Assistant District Attorney Rachael Baughman of the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau, and Trial Preparation Assistants Simone Chin and Elaina Clarke, both of the Child Abuse Sex Crimes Bureau.
District Attorney Clark also thanked Special Agents of the U.S. Secret Service, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; Detective Ralfi Hernandez, Detective Anthony Rodriguez and Lieutenant Felix Rivera, of NYPD Computer Crimes; and Detective Ariel Florentino of the NYPD Special Victims Child Squad.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.