Cops: Sex offender loitered near high school

Police have arrested a Level 2 sex offender who they said approached an 11-year-old boy in front of Riverhead High School twice last week, engaged him in conversation and gave him money -- telling the boy he "wanted to be his friend."

Donald A. Brown, 76, who Riverhead Town police said lives at the Budget Host Inn on Lake Avenue in Riverhead, was arrested Monday and faces two charges of loitering. He was not charged with a sex crime. After arraignment, Brown was remanded to the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 cash bail, police said.

It was not clear if Brown was represented by an attorney.

Police said that on March 20 and again on Friday, both times at about 8:15 a.m., Brown approached the boy, who was not harmed.

School district superintendent Nancy Carney told Newsday that a school crossing guard helped identify the suspect for police. She said the boy, a student at the Pulaski Street School, told his parents, who went to police.

"Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our students," said Carney, who said the district is placing a letter to parents on its website addressing the issue. "For any parent it's very upsetting when you hear of someone like this getting close to a student."

Carney said the district has awareness programs in place, known as "Stranger Danger," with a curriculum that addresses how to deal with such situations. She said those programs begin in elementary school.

"This is a reminder to us all to constantly be on alert for these situations," Carney said.