Prosecutors say the leader of a safety patrol in Brooklyn's ultra-Orthodox Jewish community has been arrested on charges that he sexually abused a teenage girl.
Jacob Daskal is the head of the "shomrim" – a patrol that is not part of the New York Police Department but serves as an enhanced neighborhood watch for the community.
According to The New York Times, Daskal was arrested late last week and charged with statutory rape, sexual abuse and other crimes. Police say the crimes took place at his home and involved a 15-year-old girl.
Daskal pleaded not guilty at a court hearing on Friday. A message requesting comment has been left with his attorney.
The shomrim has been around since the 1970s and has a close relationship with law enforcement.
