School bus driver Bernardo Amaya, of N. Bay Shore, faces child sex abuse charges

A school bus driver and former church volunteer from North Bay Shore is facing multiple charges after his arrest for allegedly sexually abusing two children — one last summer and another nearly two decades ago, the Suffolk County Police Department said.

Police said Bernardo Amaya, 75, "touched an 8-year-old girl in August," and that while investigating Amaya, Special Victims Section detectives determined he had allegedly touched a 4-year-old in May and June 2007.

That alleged victim, whom police did not identify, is now 22.

Late Wednesday, officials with the West Babylon bus company that employed Amaya said he had been fired.

Amaya had access to his alleged victims "at his home where a family member was a child-care worker," police said in news release Tuesday evening.

Charged with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, Amaya pleaded not guilty before Judge James Leonick during his arraignment Wednesday at First District Court in Central Islip. Leonick ordered Amaya held on $150,000 cash bail, $300,000 insured bond or $1.5 million partially secured surety bond, according to court records. He was represented by the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County.

Police said Amaya worked as a bus driver for West Babylon-based Educational Bus Inc.

"The charges do not involve his role as a bus driver with Educational Bus Transportation, where he transported high school and middle school students. He has now been terminated from employment as a result of the ongoing investigation," Educational Bus spokesman Lloyd Singer told Newsday in an emailed statement Wednesday.

Amaya drove students for the South Huntington School District, according to Singer.

In a letter to South Huntington families, Superintendent Vito D'Elia confirmed Amaya will no longer provide transportation services to students.

"The allegations center around activities outside of his role as a bus driver," D'Elia said in the letter to parents. "However, we felt it prudent to provide our community with this information. The safety and well-being of our students is always our highest priority. We understand that news of this nature is deeply concerning, and we want to assure our families that the district takes situations like this extremely seriously."

Police initially said Amaya also worked at St. Luke’s Roman Catholic Church in Brentwood, but later clarified Amaya had only been a volunteer.

On Wednesday, Father Eric Fasano, the vicar general for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, told Newsday in an emailed correspondence the allegations against Amaya are "not connected" with the parish or parish activities. He also told Newsday any alleged misconduct did not occur on parish property.

In that email, Fasano wrote Amaya was never an employee of St. Luke's, but said he had been a volunteer who "taught adults in a citizenship class" and had served as an usher until last November. 

Fasano said parish officials were notified in November that Amaya was under investigation and the parish prohibited Amaya from "participating in any volunteer activities since that time."

"All volunteers undergo background screening and training for abuse prevention," Fasano said. "There is zero tolerance for abuse and all Church employees and volunteers."

The police ask anyone with additional information to call the Special Victims Section at 631-852-6184.