A Queens man working at a state-run residential facility for adolescent girls admitted to raping one of the teens at the Long Island center after giving her marijuana edibles, prosecutors said.
Ovzie Cannon pleaded guilty Friday to third-degree rape, criminal sexual act and endangering the welfare of a child, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in a press release.
According to court documents and the guilty plea submitted by his attorneys, Cannon worked as a youth support specialist at the Brentwood Residential Center for Girls — a facility operated by New York's Office of Children and Family Services serving girls between 12 and 18 years old — in January and February of this year.
During his brief time at the Dix Hills center, Cannon was assigned to monitor the room of a 15-year-old girl. But on multiple occasions, he gave the girl weed edibles and then raped her, prosecutors said.
"This defendant’s job was to provide support to vulnerable youth," said DA Tierney. "Instead, he exploited his position of trust to take advantage of a 15-year-old girl by drugging and sexually abusing her."
Cannon is due back in court for sentencing in Jan. 2024.
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