8-Year-Old Sexually Abused By After-School Employee In Manhattan, Prosecutor Says

HARLEM, NY — A 27-year-old afterschool program employee has pleaded guilty to repeatedly sexually abusing an 8-year-old student in Harlem, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Tuesday.

Miles McNeal, from Yonkers, admitted in court to sexually abusing the child on multiple occasions between Sept. 8, 2022, and Aug. 18, 2023, while working as her after-school and camp teacher, Bragg said.

According to prosecutors, McNeal would routinely remove the student from class and take her into an empty room, where the misconduct escalated over time, beginning with photographing the child's body, then rising to sexual abuse.

“Miles McNeal is facing accountability for exploiting his position as a school employee to take advantage of one of his students, who was only 8 years old," Bragg said. "This conduct is abhorrent, and I thank this brave survivor for coming forward."

McNeal pleaded guilty in State Supreme Court to a Course of Sexual Abuse Against a Child in the Second Degree, a Class D felony. He is expected to be sentenced on Sept. 16 to five years in state prison and will be required to register as a sex offender. A final order of protection will also be issued, Bragg said.

"We will continue to prosecute those whose acts threaten the safety and wellbeing of students in Manhattan," Bragg said. "Our Child Abuse Bureau has the resources to support survivors and hold abusers accountable – call us at 212-335-4300."

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