2 men plead not guilty to having sex with teen they met on app

<p>Two Suffolk County men pleaded not guilty Tuesday to having sex with a 15-year-old boy they met on the dating app Grindr.</p>

News 12 Staff

Dec 5, 2017, 12:39 PM

Updated 2,327 days ago

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Two Suffolk County men pleaded not guilty Tuesday to having sex with a 15-year-old boy they met on the dating app Grindr.
Police say Alexander Cottrell, a 29-year-old Suffolk bus driver for disabled adults from Hauppauge, had sex with the teen a few times between October and November. William Reinhardt, a 53-year-old Southside Hospital worker and member of Central Islip-Hauppauge Volunteer Ambulance from West Islip, allegedly had sex with the boy a few times over the summer. Police say both men knew the teen was underage.
According to court documents, the arrests of both men were made after both men allegedly made admissions to police. Attorneys for both suspects say their clients are innocent.
Laura Ahearn, of Parents for Megan's Law, says the arrests are a reminder for parents to check on what their kids are doing on their phones.
The executive vice president of the Suffolk bus company tells News 12 that Reinhardt has no on-the-job complaints against him as his role as bus driver for disabled adults. He's been put on unpaid leave pending the results of the case. Cottrell has been placed on administrative leave from the volunteer ambulance service.
Cottrell was held on $10,000 bail and Reinhardt was held on $7,500.
Grindr is an app geared toward gay, bisexual and transgender hookups.


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