Police: Eastern Suffolk BOCES employee facing charges, accused of taking lewd pictures of 13-year-old in Target
Aqeel Ahmad, 53, was arrested yesterday, 10 days after the alleged incident took place. According to the SCPD, Ahmad lives in Selden and is an employee of Eastern Suffolk BOCES in Bellport.
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Aqeel Ahmad, of Selden, was taken to court in handcuffs Wednesday to face a judge.
He is accused of snapping lewd pictures of an underage girl at Target in Selden.
Police say on Sunday, Oct. 19, the 53-year-old bent down with his phone to take pictures up a 13-year-old girl’s dress, while she was browsing for greeting cards with her father at the Target at Independence Plaza.
According to police, the girl's father saw what happened and approached Ahmad, who ran out of the store. The father then called 911.
In court, Ahmad pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful surveillance and endangering the welfare of a child.
Police say Ahmad is an employee of Eastern Suffolk BOCES in Bellport.
“Anyone else feels that they were a victim of a crime that’s similar to that, we would love them to come forward. If he’s out there violating anyone else, we want to know about it," said Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina.
In court, prosecutors said Ahmad took a still photograph for his own sexual gratification and provided police with a written confession, admitting his lust for American women.
The judge signed an order of protection for Ahmad to stay away from the 13-year-old victim and released him with a GPS monitor and several sex offender conditions, including staying away from school grounds.
Police say they arrested Ahmad Tuesday near the intersection of College Road and Galaxie Lane, down the block from where he lives and less than a mile from Target.
