United Cerebral Palsy employee arraigned on sex abuse charges

Brooklyn resident due back in court Jan. 14

December 2, 2013 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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Special Prosecutor Patricia E. Gunning of the NYS Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs announced recently that Irwin October, 32, has been arraigned in Kings County Supreme Court on a three-count indictment charging him with having sexual contact with a person in his care at a United Cerebral Palsy of New York City (UCP of NYC) day habilitation program.

UCP of NYC is licensed by the NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities.

The incident first came to the attention of law enforcement officials when multiple employees reported the allegation to the Justice Center’s Vulnerable Persons Central Register (VPCR) Hotline and the New York City Police Department. A call center representative opened a case tracking file. Justice Center investigators assisted NYPD with the investigation.

The indictment charges October, who lives on Lefferts Avenue in Brooklyn with:

 One count of Endangering the Welfare of an Incompetent or Physically Disabled Person in the first degree, a class “E” Felony;
 One count of Sex Abuse in the Second Degree, a class “A” Misdemeanor; and
 One count of Sex Abuse in the Third Degree, a class “B” Misdemeanor.

According to the indictment, the defendant subjected the victim to multiple acts of sexual contact. October was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court on Jan. 14, 2014. He has been placed on administrative leave. The Kings County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

The Justice Center and its statewide hotline and incident reporting system began operations on June 30, 2013. It is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by trained professionals who receive reports of allegations of abuse and neglect of people with special needs.

Once a report is received by its (VPCR) Hotline, it is logged and assessed. Serious cases of abuse or neglect are assigned to the Justice Center’s investigation team or, when appropriate, to a local law enforcement agency for follow-up.

The Justice Center also maintains a statewide registry of all persons who have been found to be responsible for serious or repeated acts of abuse and neglect. Once placed on the registry, known as the “Staff Exclusion List” or SEL, they are prohibited by law from ever working again with people with disabilities or special needs.

The Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) is one of six state agencies under the jurisdiction of the Justice Center.