Defendant In Missing Long Island Girl's Case 'Believes She Was Led On': Attorney

LONG ISLAND, NY — A woman charged in connection with the disappearance of a missing Long Island girl, who was found after 25 days, pleaded not guilty to a superseding indictment on Tuesday, her attorney said.

Elizabeth Hunter, 34, was previously charged with sex trafficking, but because two new defendants have been added to the original indictment that she was originally charged with, she must enter another plea, her attorney, Joseph Hansche of Sayville, said in a phone interview.

There are no new charges, according to Hansche.

"We have to go back in and advocate for our client, saying that we continue to deny the allegations in the complaint," he said.

Hansche said that he has not been provided with any discovery in his client's case.

She is reportedly accused of spending a week on the boat where the teen was found, and is alleged to have taken nude and sexually explicit photographs of her that she used to advertise her for sex in exchange for drugs and money, prosecutors said at her arraignment.

The girl, who was 14 years old at the time, represented to Hunter she was 19, Hansche said.

He described Hunter as "a very nice young lady" and "personable."

"She's horrified about what went on, and she believes she was led on," he added.

Her bail has been set at $1 million, $3 million insured bond or $10 million partially secured surety bond, online court records show.

She is due back in court on April 24, according to the records.

In the superseding indictment, 11 people, including Daniel Soto and Anthony Wright, have been charged in connection with the teen's disappearance, News 12 reported.

Soto, 36, and Wright, 40, are charged with rape and endangering the welfare of a child, and Wright, is accused of aggravated patronizing a minor for prostitution, according to the outlet.

The crimes are reported to have happened at Wright's Amityville home on Silverpine Drive, the outlet reported.

Out of the 13 people reportedly arrested in connection with the case, 10 are men and three women.

The first arrest in the case was that of Francis Buckheit, of East Islip, his defense attorney Danielle Marie Papa of Hauppauge said.

The second person arrested was Bunice Knight, 47, of Copiague, with investigators alleging he had sex with the girl inside of his house hours before she was found, according to reports.

Others arrested reportedly included Daniel Burke, 63, of Bohemia, and Robert Eccleston, who were reportedly arrested with investigators alleging they kidnapped the teen and held her at their homes.

Eccleston pleaded not guilty on Monday, Newsday reported.

Prosecutors also reportedly allege Jacquelyn Comiskey, 52, of Bellport took the girl to a house in Copiague on Jan. 2, where she traded her for crack cocaine to a man who is accused of raping her.

A 20-year-old from Medford, Kevin McDonald, was also reportedly arrested in connection with the case.

Seven men and two women will answer a 75-count indictment containing updated charges, including child sex trafficking, kidnapping, and rape, Newsday reported.

Thirty-five-year-old Bellport resident Alton Harrell, who is alleged to have picked the teen up at her house on Dec. 9, faces the most serious upgrade with a new top charge of first-degree kidnapping, the outlet reported, citing court records.

Other arrests in connection with the case include that of Ralph Knowles, 63, and Rebecca Browell, 48, of Brentwood.

Online court records show that the nine previously indicted in connection with the case includes not only Knowles, but Buckheit, Eccleston, Burke, Harrell, McDonald, Hunter, Knight, and Comiskey.

Also previously arrested in the case was DeShaun McClean, a 42-year-old mental health worker, has been accused of having sexual contact with the teen between Jan. 9 and Jan. 23 at a children's mental health facility that she was staying at in Suffolk after she was found, according to News 12.

The father of the girl plans to sue a children's mental health facility over the violation of her constitutional rights, Newsday has reported.