Suffolk police say school bus driver facing child sex abuse charges

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

Bernardo Amaya, 75, "touched an 8-year-old girl in August," the police department said in a news release late Tuesday.

While investigating Amaya, Special Victims Section detectives determined he had touched a 4-year-old in May and June 2007, the police said. That alleged victim, who police did not identify, is now 22.

Amaya had access to his alleged victims "at his home where a family member was a childcare worker," police said.

He was arrested and charged Tuesday with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, the Suffolk police said. Amaya was being held overnight at the Third Precinct in Bay Shore and is set for arraignment Wednesday at First District Court in Central Islip.

Amaya works as a bus driver for West Babylon-based Educational Bus Inc., the release said. Officials with the bus company could not be reached for comment late Tuesday. It was not immediately known which school district Amaya served.

He is also employed by St. Luke’s Roman Catholic Church in Brentwood, the release said. The police did not specify his job at the church.
Representatives with St Luke’s could not be reached late Tuesday.

Information regarding whether Amaya was being represented by a defense attorney was not available late Tuesday.

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