By Gus Saltonstall
A man was indicted on Wednesday for allegedly sexually abusing two children who were living at an Upper West Side migrant shelter, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office announced.
Oscar Delgado, 38, who worked as a security guard at the Riverside Terrace shelter on West 88th Street near Riverside Drive, was indicted on two counts of sexual abuse, endangering the welfare of a child, and forcible touching, according to the Manhattan DA.
On November 25, an eight-year-old girl was in the stairwell of the Upper West Side shelter, when Delgado approached her and inappropriately touched her over her clothing, the DA said. Later that day, her 10-year-old sister was in the same stairwell, and Delgado placed his hand under her clothes and forcibly squeezed her buttocks, the DA added.
The two sisters told their mother what happened later that night, and she then informed the head of security at the shelter and 911 was called.
“Oscar Delgado allegedly sexually assaulted two sisters, abusing his power as a security guard whose duty was to protect the very children we allege he abused,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a news release. “This charged conduct is deeply disturbing, and I hope the survivors continue to heal from these assaults.”
The Riverside Terrace shelter opened in the summer of 2023 for both migrant families and families from the five boroughs.
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Are security guards subject to background checks? If convicted, is he part of the sex offender registry? In this case as a pedophile? This is really gross. There are certain jobs that really require background checks..
That is terrible.
Good that the criminal case is proceeding.
But also concerning that the parent allowed children unsupervised on the stairs.
And presumably children not fluent in English.
I don’t think it’s unusual for children that age to be using the stairs in their own ‘residence.’ I don’t know how long they’ve been there but they may have known and trusted this man. The mother could have been 10 feet away. If it was another type of building it could have been a doorman, concierge, elevator operator, porter, etc . Let’s focus on this predatory behaviour of the adult who did this. : (
“allowed children unsupervised on the stairs” — This is all based on a garbage-can full of assumptions. Please read more carefully and stop blaming parents or kids for predators’ assaults.
How do you know that the kid did not run down the stairs 2 flights faster than her mom and then wait at the bottom?
How do you know that the kids were “allowed” to go in the stairwell? It’s possible that the mother told them not to, and as kids playing around, they did anyway.
How do you know that this is not usually a perfectly safe, well-traveled stairwell that occupants regularly take to get to the bathroom?
How do you know that the kids don’t speak English?
You don’t. None of this is included in the report before us, nor is it likely to be included later.
Your privilege is showing. Let’s try not to victim blame please.
Hi Sarah,
We are all strangers here.
You know nothing about me and I know nothing about you.
I am OK with my comment for a variety of reasons.
Freedom of speech still exists.
I am not going to insult or criticize your different POV
You’re OK with blaming a parent for their children being assaulted by someone the city hired to watch over them? Sad.
(a different Sarah)
Kids are 8 and 10, not 2 or 3. There is no reason why they shouldn’t be able to go up and down the stairs of their building on their own.
Yes, it is victim blaming.
Dirtbag – how about deporting him instead?
Yeah, how about it? What part of the article tells you he is not a U.S. citizen, eh?
Hopefully this beautiful building will be turned into housing.
Why is the mom not watching her children?
Why is the dad not watching the children? Why can’t 8-10 year old children climb stairs in the building they live in without supervision? Why can’t all parents be perfect all the time?
What else?
To people blaming the mother – what???
As if it’s child abuse to let an 8 and 10 year old alone in the stairs? They aren’t infants, and it’s not like letting go across town.
The only person at fault is the security guard.
Thank you!!!
When the ICE buses pull up to that Hotel and all the others, next month this mess will be a memory.
Thank you, Mayor Adams, for vetting this person.
.
Adding fuel to the fire.
You better hope Trump pardons you.
Can’t wait form the 500 drones in Central Park, yee ha.
Thank you and have a Blessed day!
I wonder if this would have happened to them in their own country.
Wow, the WSR commentariat has gone downhill. You would think support for children allegedly sexually assaulted by an authority figure would be universal, but I guess not!
The city actually hires felons to work in the shelter system. It’s part of some kind of rehabilitation program for recently released felons coming out of jail. So they know who they are placing where and what crimes if any they committed. I’m housed now but when I was homeless in a shelter in Brooklyn the guards stole from us all the time. Stuff would vanish going through the scanners or they’d just tell us we had too much stuff, confiscate things and we’d see them with it later. Money, jewelry, personal care stuff, snacks, they just helped themselves and nobody would do anything.