Parents: Group of 5 men groped campers at Splish Splash

<p>Parents of four 11-year-old girls say their daughters were inappropriately touched by a group of men while at Splish Splash.</p>

News 12 Staff

Aug 22, 2018, 9:50 AM

Updated 2,313 days ago

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Parents of four 11-year-old girls say their daughters were inappropriately touched by a group of men at Splish Splash.
The girls were in the wave pool at the Riverhead water park Tuesday when the group of five men groped the girls, according to a parent who asked not to be identified.
The girls are campers at the Huntington YMCA.
Parents say the girls told their counselors from the YMCA and the counselors told security at Splish Splash. The parents say security escorted those men out of the park without getting their names.
According to police and phone records, Splish Splash security did not call the Riverhead Police Department until 30 minutes after the mother reported it to the police – more than a full hour after the alleged incident.
Chief David Hegermiller, of the Riverhead Town Police, said they would have responded immediately if they were notified directly after the camp counselor reported the incident. He says there are no security cameras at the wave pool, but they are reviewing surveillance footage at the entrance and exits to the water park as they continue to investigate.
In a statement, Splish Splash Director of Marketing Gamini Perera said "Splish Splash takes safety very seriously. We are aware of the incident and are working with Riverhead Police Department."
The YMCA of Long Island released a statement saying it "is committed to ensuring the well-being of the youths we serve, at all times. We are confident that our summer day camp staff is dedicated to caring for and protecting all children in our care. In addition, we are fully cooperating with law enforcement and cannot comment on an ongoing investigation."