Daniel Soto is 12th person charged in case of East Patchogue girl, 14, who went missing for 25 days

A 12th person has been charged in relation to a 14-year-old East Patchogue girl who went missing in December, court records show.

Daniel Soto, 36, of Bay Shore, was arrested Friday morning and arraigned in First District Court in Central Islip on a felony charge of second-degree rape and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, according to court records.

Soto is alleged to have engaged in sex with the teen between Dec. 13 and Dec. 20 at the White Cap Marina in Islip, where the girl was found in January aboard a 56-foot luxury boat, according to court documents. She had been missing for 25 days.

Soto pleaded not guilty on Friday before District Court Judge Bernard Cheng, court records show.

His court-appointed defense attorney, Katherine Fernandez, of Uniondale, said Soto "denies the charges." She declined to comment further.

Cheng set bail at $50,000 cash or $150,000 bond, court records show. Soto remains in custody at the Suffolk County Jail.

Newsday is not naming the teen because she is a minor and the alleged victim of a sex crime.

Suffolk police investigators said the arrest was based on a sworn written statement the victim provided on Tuesday, as well as a video interview conducted on Friday with the defendant, according to a criminal complaint.

Soto is due back in court on Tuesday.

Soto's arrest came one day after police charged two additional people in connection with the teen's 25-day disappearance.

Ralph Knowles, 63, of Brentwood, pleaded not guilty Thursday to second-degree attempted rape, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child. Rebecca Browell, 48, who lives at the same Brentwood address as Knowles, also was arrested in connection to the case. She was arrested after selling illegal drugs to an undercover officer, prosecutors said in court.

Police initially arrested Francis Buckheit, 64, of East Islip, who owns the boat where the girl was found. Prosecutors allege Buckheit kidnapped and raped the victim. He has denied the allegations.

Police also charged Jacquelyn Comiskey, 52, of Bellport, and Elizabeth Hunter, 34, of Islip, with child sex trafficking in connection to the girl’s disappearance. They both pleaded not guilty. 

Hunter allegedly advertised the teen for sex in exchange for money and drugs and took sexually explicit photos of her.

Comiskey allegedly took the girl on Jan. 2 to a house in Copiague, where she traded her for crack cocaine to a man accused of raping her, prosecutors said. The man, Bunice Knight, 47, was arrested on Jan. 13 and charged with rape and three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance. He pleaded not guilty.

Alton Harrell, 35, of Bellport, Daniel Burke, 63, of Bohemia, and Robert Eccleston, 61, of Islip, were charged with kidnapping and raping the girl during the first three days of her disappearance, according to authorities.

Kevin McDonald, 20, of Medford, allegedly raped the girl in the back seat of a car on Dec. 10, prosecutors say. He also was charged with endangering the welfare of a minor. He has denied the allegations.

One person has since been arrested after the girl was rescued. Deshaun McClean, 42, of Deer Park, who was an employee of a state-run children's mental health facility in Suffolk County, was charged with having criminal sexual contact with the girl.

He pleaded not guilty at his Feb. 5 arraignment to two counts of criminal sexual conduct with a person incapable of consent and endangering the welfare of a child, all misdemeanors.

With Grant Parpan

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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