Ex-Yankee Rusty Torres faces sex abuse charges

  MASSAPEQUA -- A former New York Yankees outfielder is accused of sexually abusing an 8-year-old while working as a baseball coach for a Long Island town.

The abuse is alleged to have taken place on two occasions inside a town of Oyster Bay-owned van.

Rosendo "Rusty" Torres, 63, was arrested at his home in Massapequa early Tuesday. He was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on four misdemeanor counts of sexual abuse. He could face up to seven years in prison if convicted on each count. It was not immediately known if Torres had a defense attorney.

Prosecutors said Torres was employed by the town; the incidents allegedly happened on April 30 and on Monday. He used the van to conduct baseball clinics at various locations in the town.

Police were contacted after the victim's parents were told and Torres was arrested Tuesday.

A town of Oyster Bay spokeswoman said Torres was suspended without pay and that any programs Torres was scheduled to conduct were canceled until further notice.

Torres started his career with the New York in 1971. He also played with the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, California Angels and Kansas City Royals. He hit .212 and had 35 home runs and 126 RBI in a career that ended in 1980.

Officials said there were no indications of any prior arrests on his record.

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new york yankees, child sex assault, long island, oyster bay, mlb

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Woman faces rapist in court after he framed her

Web produced by Jennifer Matarese, Eyewitness NewsQUEENS (WABC) -- A Long Island woman faced her rapist in a Queens court.

He not only raped her, but he also framed her for crimes she did not commit.

The rapist was sentenced to the maximum time in prison after some dramatic and angry testimony Wednesday from the victim.

"You made sure that I was left with nothing when you were done, because you're evil," said Seemona Sumasar, the victim.

An emotional Seemona Sumasar directly addressed the man now convicted of her rape and of a brazen conspiracy to frame his ex-girlfriend for a series of armed robberies.

"Somebody needs to put a stop to you and your madness," Sumasar said.

Queens Judge Richard Buchter did, sentencing 39-year-old Jerry Ramrattan to 25 years for first degree rape, and an additional two to seven years for perjury, lying.

He'd enlisted phony victims to claim Sumasar, posing as cop in a bullet proof vest, had pulled over her prey and robbed them at gunpoint in remote locations of Nassau County and later Queens.

The Judge blasted Nassau Police for failing to investigate the petite mom's suspicion that she was being set up by her scheming ex in retaliation for the rape accusation.

"You wouldn't have to be Sherlock Holmes to suspect something was fishy," the judge said.

Sumasar served seven months in a Nassau County jail for the supposed stick-ups unable to post the million bail, away from her young daughter, now 12.

She lost the successful restaurant she owned in Queens.

Finally, an informant and phone records linked Ramrattan to the scheme and he was charged and Sumasar was released.

"Miss Sumasar was victimized by the defendant and then victimized again by the criminal justice system," the judge said.

There was no remorse from Jerry Ramrattan, who claims to be a longtime police informant with a lengthy list of dirty little secrets he vows he'll now spill.

"The evidence showed him to be a violent rapist and an evil and convicted schemer, a sinister manipulator and a diabolical conniver," the judge said.

"I maintain my innocence, it's not done," Ramrattan said.

She blames Nassau County Police even more than the man who victimized her, twice.

Sumasar says she does feel a little safer knowing the man who tried to ruin her will spend nearly 30 years behind bars.

She also puts plenty of blame on the Nassau County Police Department for their role.

She could have faced 25 years if investigators in Queens hadn't realized she was being framed.

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