New York City dumps homeless pedophiles in hotel near elementary school playground

The poor reasoning behind housing homeless people in luxury hotels notwithstanding, the city’s moves to irritate its residents—and in this case, endanger children—boggles the mind.

New York Post reports that this “slap in the face to residents of the Manhattan neighborhood” is just the city’s latest move that has garnered widespread anger and outrage from residents already reeling from an influx of a new homeless population that relocated to the area following the coronavirus pandemic.

The paper reports that the six parolees were listed by New York’s sex offender registry as residents of the Belleclaire hotel as of Friday.

One of the parolees includes a sexually violent pedophile who overpowered and raped a 4-year-old girl. Devron Vernal, 26, was sentenced to only four years in prison and remains on parole until 2028.

Other parolees include Jonathan Evans, 29, a sexually violent offender who was convicted for using threats to force the rape of a 6-year-old boy. He was sentenced to five years.

Also on the list is Anderson Stuckey, 51, who violently raped a 10-year-old girl; Orlando Velasco, 35, who molested an 11-year-old; Ronald Butler, 62, a predicate sex offender who violently raped a 16-year-old; and 37-year-old Rafael Medina, who forcibly raped a 15-year-old.

New York Post reports that the hotel is just under 1,000 feet from the school playground, which under New York state law prohibits high-risk sex offenders from “knowingly entering into or upon” school areas and facilities, including playgrounds. Courts interpret this to mean that they must keep a minimum distance of a thousand feet.