A twelfth arrest has been made in the alleged sex trafficking case of Long Island teen Emmarae Gervasi. Daniel Soto, a 36-year-old Bay Shore man, was arrested on charges of second-degree rape and endangering the welfare of a child. The incident allegedly took place between Dec. 13-20, 2024, at a marina in Islip, where the teen was found aboard a yacht after going missing.
Gervasi, 14, disappeared from her Patchogue home on Dec. 9, seen on surveillance leaving shoeless and getting into a car. Her ankle bracelet was later discovered cut and discarded nearby. Her father, Frank Gervasi, rescued her from the boat on Jan. 3 after receiving a tip about her whereabouts.
Soto pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. He is the latest individual to be arrested in connection with the case, joining eleven others including the boat’s owner, Francis Buckheit, and Alton Harrell, both facing charges of rape, child endangerment, and kidnapping. Bunice Knight, Daniel Burke, and Robert Eccleston have also been charged with various offenses related to the incident.
Additionally, two women, Jacquelyn Comiskey and Elizabeth Hunter, were recently charged with sex trafficking and child endangerment. Kevin McDonald is accused of raping the girl in a car the day after she vanished.
The ongoing investigation into the sex trafficking of Emmarae Gervasi has led to multiple arrests, shedding light on the disturbing circumstances surrounding her disappearance and subsequent rescue.
