Opinion
2015-03421 Docket Nos. N-12035/13 N-12036/13 N-12037/13 N-12039/13.
02-24-2016
In the Matter of ANGEL R. (Anonymous). Administration for Children's Services, respondent; Syheid R. (Anonymous), appellant. (Proceeding No. 1) In the Matter of Farrelle J. (Anonymous). Administration for Children's Services, respondent; Syheid R. (Anonymous), appellant. (Proceeding No. 2) In the Matter of Tarrelle J. (Anonymous). Administration for Children's Services, respondent; Syheid R. (Anonymous), appellant. (Proceeding No. 3) In the Matter of Safire J. (Anonymous). Administration for Children's Services, respondent; Syheid R. (Anonymous), appellant. (Proceeding No. 4) In the Matter of Sonia J. (Anonymous). Administration for Children's Services, respondent; Syheid R. (Anonymous), appellant. (Proceeding No. 5).
Mark Diamond, New York, N.Y., for appellant. Zachary W. Carter, Corporation Counsel, New York, N.Y. (Pamela Seider Dolgow and Dona B. Morris of counsel), for respondent. Seymour W. James, Jr., New York, N.Y. (Tamara A. Steckler and Susan Clement of counsel), attorney for the children.
Mark Diamond, New York, N.Y., for appellant.
Zachary W. Carter, Corporation Counsel, New York, N.Y. (Pamela Seider Dolgow and Dona B. Morris of counsel), for respondent.
Seymour W. James, Jr., New York, N.Y. (Tamara A. Steckler and Susan Clement of counsel), attorney for the children.
Opinion
Appeal from an order of fact-finding of the Family Court, Queens County (John M. Hunt, J.), dated February 9, 2015. The order, after a hearing, found that the appellant sexually abused the child Sonia J. and derivatively neglected the children Angel R., Farrelle J., Tarrelle J., and Safire J.
ORDERED that the order is affirmed, without costs or disbursements.
Contrary to the appellant's contention, the Family Court properly found him to be a person legally responsible for the care of the children Sonia J., Farrelle J., Tarrelle J., and Safire J. within the meaning of the Family Court Act (see Family Ct. Act § 1012[g]; Matter of Trenasia J. [Frank J.], 25 N.Y.3d 1001, 1004–1006, 10 N.Y.S.3d 162, 32 N.E.3d 377; Matter of Yolanda D., 88 N.Y.2d 790, 795–797, 651 N.Y.S.2d 1, 673 N.E.2d 1228; Matter of Allyssa O. [Edward N.], 132 A.D.3d 768, 769, 18 N.Y.S.3d 392; Matter of Tyler MM. [Stephanie NN.], 82 A.D.3d 1374, 1375, 918 N.Y.S.2d 644; Matter of Dayquon G., 22 A.D.3d 431, 803 N.Y.S.2d 510).
The Family Court's finding that the appellant sexually abused the child Sonia J. is supported by a preponderance of the evidence (see Family Ct. Act §§ 1012[e][iii]; 1046[b][i]; cf. Penal Law §§ 130.653; 130.52 1 ). The testimony of the petitioner's expert witness, who was an expert in the field of child sexual abuse, provided sufficient corroboration to support the reliability of Sonia J.'s out-of-court statements regarding the appellant's sexual abuse of her (see Family Ct. Act § 1046[a][vi]; Matter of Jaclyn P., 86 N.Y.2d 875, 878, 635 N.Y.S.2d 169, 658 N.E.2d 1042; Matter of Nicole V., 71 N.Y.2d 112, 121, 524 N.Y.S.2d 19, 518 N.E.2d 914; Matter of Anthony M.C. [Patrick M.J.], 119 A.D.3d 781, 782, 989 N.Y.S.2d 332; Matter of Alexis S. [Edward S.], 115 A.D.3d 866, 867, 982 N.Y.S.2d 366; Matter of Emani W. [Owana E.], 107 A.D.3d 815, 816, 966 N.Y.S.2d 527). Furthermore, the record supports the court's finding that the appellant derivatively neglected the children Angel R., Farrelle J., Tarrelle J., and Safire J., as the appellant's sexual abuse of Sonia J. demonstrated a fundamental defect in his understanding of his duties as a person with legal responsibility for the care of children (see Matter of Sha–Naya M.S.C. [Derrick C.], 130 A.D.3d 719, 721, 13 N.Y.S.3d 502; Matter of Monica C.M. [Arnold A.], 107 A.D.3d 996, 997, 968 N.Y.S.2d 143; Matter of Kyanna T. [Winston R.], 99 A.D.3d 1011, 1013, 953 N.Y.S.2d 121; Matter of Lauryn H. [William A.], 73 A.D.3d 1175, 1177, 900 N.Y.S.2d 764; Matter of Grant W. [Raphael A.], 67 A.D.3d 922, 888 N.Y.S.2d 418).
The appellant's remaining contentions, which concern two orders of disposition dated March 13, 2015, and March 20, 2015, respectively, are not properly before this Court, since he did not appeal from those orders (see CPLR 5515; Matter of Tara C. [Sonia C.], 106 A.D.3d 735, 963 N.Y.S.2d 875; Matter of Idhailia P. [Philip S. P.], 95 A.D.3d 1333, 1335, 945 N.Y.S.2d 705; Matter of Jahmeiah S.-W., 21 A.D.3d 564, 565, 799 N.Y.S.2d 902).