Brooklyn minister charged with alleged sexual conduct with female juvenile in Nassau, police say

A minister with a South Bronx church who allegedly engaged in sexual conduct with a juvenile female in Nassau County for more than 2½ years has been arrested on felony criminal charges, the Nassau County Police Department said.

Reginald Chery, 46, of Brooklyn, allegedly had multiple sexual encounters with the juvenile in Nassau between Jan. 15, 2014, and Aug. 15, 2016, according to a police department news release. The release did not identify the alleged victim, her age at the time and currently, or what led to the charges nearly a decade later.

Police arrested Chery at his Brooklyn home Wednesday.

Chery is a minister at the South Bronx Community Seventh-day Adventist Church, Nassau police said Wednesday. The voicemail box at the church, which has an outgoing message by a person identifying himself as Chery, was full and could not accept Newsday’s message seeking comment Thursday.

Chery is also a chaplain at the St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, Queens, Nassau police said.

In a statement emailed to Newsday on Friday a spokesperson for Episcopal Health Services, the hospital's health system, said: "Our hearts and prayers are with the alleged victim and her family. Reginald Chery, Clinical Pastoral Care Education Resident in Training, was suspended, pending the investigation of this matter. We take these allegations seriously, but cannot further comment on the legal investigation."  

At his arraignment Wednesday at First District Court in Hempstead, Chery pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, a felony; and endangering the welfare of a child, according to court documents. He was represented by the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County.

Chery is scheduled to return to court Friday, according to court records.

Police asked anyone who may have been an alleged victim of Chery to contact the Nassau County Special Victims Squad Detectives at 516-573-4022 or the Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS. Callers will remain anonymous, police said.