PRESS RELEASE
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DISTRICT ATTORNEY ANNOUNCES MULTI-COUNT INDICTMENT OF
FOUR DEFENDANTS IN SEX VIDEO CASE

***Grand Jury returns 24-count indictment ***

March 19, 2004 – Richmond County District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan, Jr. announced today the indictment of Jatiek Smith, Andre Cash, Rahnick Lacewell & Donald Dore in connection with various criminal sexual offenses against two girls, 13 and 14 years old. Under New York law, it is unlawful to engage in sexual acts with a person under the age of 17.

Defendant Smith, 19, is charged with ten counts, including Rape in the Second Degree, three counts of Criminal Sexual Act in the Second Degree, two counts of Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child, two counts of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child, and two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Defendant Cash, 17, is charged with eights counts, including three counts of Sexual Misconduct, two counts of Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child, Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child, and two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Defendant Lacewell, 18, is charged with Rape in the Second Degree, Criminal Sexual Act in the Second Degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Defendant Dore, 19, is charged with Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child, Criminal Sexual Act in the Second Degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

The defendants will be arraigned on the indictment on Wednesday, March 24 in State Supreme Court. If convicted on the top count, each defendant could face 7 years in prison. In addition, each would be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law.

District Attorney Donovan said, “The charges filed today involve the exploitation of vulnerable teenagers. First, the defendants are accused of engaging in illicit sexual acts with these girls. Then, they allegedly continued their victims' degradation by recording and replaying the videos of those sex acts. The underlying investigation was conducted by the Staten Island District Attorney’s NYPD Detective Squad, which executed the search warrant that yielded videotapes now in evidence. The case is being prosecuted by Richmond County Assistant District Attorneys Yolanda L. Rudich, Chief of Sex Crimes/Special Victims Bureau, and Duncan Brown.”

Authorities are still investigating this matter. Anyone with any information is urged to contact Detective Robert Nestel at (718) 556-7158.

Donovan said, “These arrests were coordinated with the New York City Police Department’s Staten Island Warrant Squad, the 120 Precinct Anti-Crime Unit, the Staten Island Task Force and Staten Island Detective Operations. I am grateful to all these dedicated officers for their work in preventing more crimes from occurring.”

The public is reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation, and that a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.