Police: Huntington store clerk asked to see kids' underwear

A Huntington convenience store employee was arrested Friday night after Suffolk County police said he approached four children in the store and tried to pay them to expose themselves to him.

Police said Bipinkumar Patel, 35, confronted two boys and two girls between the ages of 11 and 14 after they walked into the Jericho Convenience store, at 1058 W. Jericho Tpke., about 7:20 p.m. and asked them if they were wearing underwear. When they answered, Patel offered them money if they showed him their underwear and private parts, police said.

Second Precinct Officers Robert Mahady and Michael Yonelunas responded and arrested him. Patel, of 23 Linwood Ave. in Huntington, was charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and was released, police said.

Patel is scheduled to appear at First District Court in Central Islip on July 7, police said.