Yet another black eye? Mahopac Falls FF/Pleasantville VAC Member Charged w/ Having Sex with a minor

[INIT915 1,119]

Grand jury to consider case against Mahopac man accused of sex act with boy, 16

By TERENCE CORCORAN

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: August 16, 2007)

EAST FISHKILL - The case against a 40-year-old Mahopac Falls firefighter accused of having sex with a 16-year-old boy is going to a grand jury.

A felony hearing in the case against Frank R. Andriola was canceled today, a court clerk said.

Andriola, who lives near Kirk Lake, was arrested early Saturday after East Fishkill police said an officer found him in a parked car with the boy in the Leetown Road Recreation Area in Stormville at 2:49 a.m. Police said Andriola had met the boy over the Internet.

They charged Andriola with third-degree criminal sexual act, a felony, endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, and trespassing, a violation. He was being held on $50,000 bail at the Dutchess County jail.

Andriola was a volunteer with the Mahopac Falls Fire Department and, until yesterday, was listed on the department's Web site as a captain of the Fire Police.

Messages left with Fire Chief Jeffrey Boyle on the status of Andriola's membership in the department have not been returned. The suspect also drove an ambulance for the Pleasantville Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and a spokeswoman there said today that he had been suspended pending the outcome of the case.

East Fishkill police said the case remained under investigation yesterday.

Andriola struck a pedestrian on Bullet Hole Road in Mahopac while responding to a report of a fire last year. He was not charged.

[Goose 188]

Sound's like a real stand up individual. I hope they give him the royal treatment in DCJ and the next facility he ends up in. Like all child predators, i would love to see this guy get the chair.

So, do any of these organizations even bother to do a background check w/ their local law enforcement agencies? I think its time to start finger printing members and running them against local and state databases.

And why hasn't he been thrown out of MFVFD and PVAC by now?!

This whole story makes me sick.

Edited August 16, 2007 by Goose

[INIT915 1,119]

Sound's like a real stand up individual. I hope they give him the royal treatment in DCJ and the next facility he ends up in. Like all child predators, i would love to see this guy get the chair.

So, do any of these organizations even bother to do a background check w/ their local law enforcement agencies? I think its time to start finger printing members and running them against local and state databases.

Fingerprints are only good if these guys have been picked up in the past. Who knows how many times he's done this and gotten away with it!

[Goose 188]

Agreed 915, but at least then you can say we have a policy and procedure in place to try to weed people out, at that point it would be out of a department's ability to control.

[CPAGE 2]

I hope is cell mate is named bubba and he finds out what it is like to be on the other end of what he did.

this pos should get what he has coming to him.

[irishfire2491 24]

It makes me sick to read this it seem like every couple weeks there is someone eles around our area.

SICKO

[pd125 0]

BIG Shout to EFPD for "routine" police work. There is little a goup can do. The threat of lawsuit prevent the people from being thrown out till they found guilty or are listed as a an offender. Backround checks only find things they did. You get into trouble if you look at someone and say no can't take you, cause you look like a perv.....

[Guest CRASH]

IM SURE DEPARTMENTALLY HIS STATUS HAS BEEN ALTERED BUT WHO KNOWS WHO THEIRWEB MASTER IS AND IF SAID PERSON HAS HAD TIME TO UPDATE THEIR WEBSITE I KNOW MY DEPTS SITE HASNT BEEN UPDATED IN AGES.....

.

.EITHER WAY I HOPE HE HAS A PLEASANT TIME IN THE CAN AS ALL THESE DAMN PEDOFILES NEED TO....

[ex-commish 490]

I hope is cell mate is named bubba and he finds out what it is like to be on the other end of what he did.

this pos should get what he has coming to him.

Unfortunately he will be protected in jail...put on protective custody.

[PC414 0]

So ... just a (probably unpopular) thought ...

Anybody else think it's kinda' silly to let the Grand Jury actually decide if there is sufficient evidence to indict and then a jury of his peers to determine guilt (within the context of the U.S. and New York State Constitutions) BEFORE we introduce the "dam pedofile" [sic] to "bubba?"

All that "due process" crap probably isn't very important anyway, is it, if you're REALLY a "Law and Order" kinda' guy (or gal)?

HOLY COW!

Bob

[Guest partyrock]

Thank you PC414. Innocent until proven guilty. Yes, an officer catching you in the act is pretty close to guilty, the time to crucify still hasn't arrived. Kudos to PVAC for handling it appropriately. Suspended until the outcome of the investigation is the right answer.

[AFS1970 504]

I absolutely agree with innocent until proven guilty but I also remember seeing a comedian explain it once like this:

Only in America can a man walk into a bank weakig a ski mask, point a gun at the teller, demand money, all this being recorded on video tape. As he exits the bank he sees and runs from the police, who chase him down a dead end alley, and catch him still holding the mask, gun and money. They arrest him, bring him down to the station and suddenly he is known as THE SUSPECT.

As has been said before Background checks are only good for repeat offenders. This really should be about catching predators and not about shuftuing liability. The idea about rejecting someone who looks like a perv made me think of the Adams Family movie and the line "I'm dressed like a serial killer, they look just like everyone else" sad but true in these cases.

As for the department website, even if he is suspended or on other restrictions pending the outcome of the case, I would think that the website couldn't or shouldn't list that status, as it would be a confidential personnel matter. The department might actually face more liability but publicly announcing a suspension like that.

That being said, Child predators are the lowest of the low, and it is time we stopped giving them short sentances so that they can come out and become repeat offenders. It should be simple, mess with a kid, go away for the rest of your life. I favor that over death only in that it gives them longer to think about what a scumbag they are. I hope Bubba would not be a reward and not the intended punishment.

[GAW6 66]

First of all to you Goose - you should do your homework before making statements. Pleasantville Ambulance Corps handled the situation as soon as we were made aware of the situation (we found out about it by reading it in the paper like everyone else).

This person was a member with "Emergency Driver" status; he did not have the rights and privleges of a regular member. He worked locally and offered to help us out in driving during the day occassionally. His key was locked out of our building immedialtely upon hearing the allegations.

As a member of our Board of Directors I can tell all of you that this matter was handled in an Executive Session with only Board Members and Officers present as it should be in dealing with personnel matters.

Case closed on our part.

[jd783 64]

more from the journal news I'm sure thisa guy is guilty but why put Mahopac and pleasentvilles name in the paper? so people see the word firefighter and read there s*** article, Where did he really work in pleasantville ? he was not employed by Mahopac Falls fd or pvac but this is what the paper wants you to think

[DOC22 1]

Yup, just another example of the P*** poor type of journalism, but it sells their papers.

[RescueKujo 130]

That being said, Child predators are the lowest of the low, and it is time we stopped giving them short sentances so that they can come out and become repeat offenders. It should be simple, mess with a kid, go away for the rest of your life. I favor that over death only in that it gives them longer to think about what a scumbag they are. I hope Bubba would not be a reward and not the intended punishment.

Sexual assault criminals have the highest percent of repeat offenses, if I remember right. I realize there are still rights that cover these "people", but BFD182 is correct. Lock these criminals up and throw away the key. There is no way that their victims will ever be the same.

[pd125 0]

So ... just a (probably unpopular) thought ...

Anybody else think it's kinda' silly to let the Grand Jury actually decide if there is sufficient evidence to indict and then a jury of his peers to determine guilt (within the context of the U.S. and New York State Constitutions) BEFORE we introduce the "dam pedofile" [sic] to "bubba?"

All that "due process" crap probably isn't very important anyway, is it, if you're REALLY a "Law and Order" kinda' guy (or gal)?

HOLY COW!

Bob

Yea Bob it is important. Ask the guy who they thought planted the bomb at the 96 Alanta games. As for bubba they just don't care anymore. A few get beat up and worked over but look at the NYS DOJ website and search the offender database. Put in a zipcode where Fishkill Correctional or Downstate are and see the list of them. Unless the guy is known or the other cons has family the guy harmed their crime is not know. Due process saves the group from a legal battle that only line the lawyers pocket.

[RWC130 594]

If it was John Doe it would be on Page 5 but because it's a Firefighter, Police Officer,

or EMT/Medic front page of the paper.

Yes, we are all held to a higher standard and rightfully so!

We serve the public. Volunteer or Career.

Incidents like this bring BAD PRESS not just to the agency the person is a member of but

ALL OF US in Emergency Services.

[Guest Chip025]

If it was John Doe it would be on Page 5 but because it's a Firefighter, Police Officer,

or EMT/Medic front page of the paper.

Yes, we are all held to a higher standard and rightfully so!

We serve the public. Volunteer or Career.

Incidents like this bring BAD PRESS not just to the agency the person is a member of but

ALL OF US in Emergency Services.

Well it wouldn't be a blackeye at all if they listed their real jobs

[x635 4,066]

From anyone who's watched "Dateline: To Catch A Predator", these people come from ALL walks of life.

Firefighters also come from all walks of life.

Unfortunetly, the media chooses to cover this like they do, and we can't control it. There's been a ton of bad press on the local fire service over the past few years. BUT, how many departments aggresively go after GOOD press???

Complaining is useless if you don't take action. I know firefighters who are the greatest people on earth, and I know firefighters who are the biggest losers imaginable. It's sad. Unfortunetly, they are there and it's hard and unfair to get rid of them unless they do something wrong. One can only hope that the department conducts thorough backfground checks that include proven psychological testing and profiling and a true reference check. All this should be documented so that the department is protected in a situation like this.

If there had been any complaints or evidence regarding a member who is troublesome, and the actions weren't addressed, then the leadership should be held accountable as well.

[PC_420 28]

Just to answer an asked question, this man worked at Pace University in Communications.

[Guest WolfEMT]

Lovely... I've probably seen him from a distance (or hell, even up close for all I know) when I went there. My question is, who saw the signs that he might be that kind of person? Surely there isn't a switch that gets flipped on one day that causes one to become a pedophile; there has got to be some sort of outward sign - or signs - that are exhibited...

[TRUCK6018 50]

If it was John Doe it would be on Page 5 but because it's a Firefighter, Police Officer,

or EMT/Medic front page of the paper.

To prove that point this was reported in the Poughkeepsie Urinal last weekend on a side bar article in the "B" (local) section of the paper. There was no mention of any occupation let along firefighter.

[x129K 1,393]

To prove that point this was reported in the Poughkeepsie Urinal last weekend on a side bar article in the "B" (local) section of the paper. There was no mention of any occupation let along firefighter.

And today, front page of the Mid Hudson section, with a subtitle of "firefighter"......

[DOC22 1]

And today, front page of the Mid Hudson section, with a subtitle of "firefighter"......

I read something about this several days ago, I believe on lohud,com, and there was no mention of this mope being a firefighter, anywhere.

[x129K 1,393]

I read something about this several days ago, I believe on lohud,com, and there was no mention of this mope being a firefighter, anywhere.

From Pojonews.com;

Friday, August 17, 2007

Grand jury will hear sex act case

Firefighter allegedly was found with teen

Gannett News Service

EAST FISHKILL - The case against a 40-year-old Mahopac Falls firefighter accused of having sex with a 16-year-old boy is going to a grand jury.

A felony hearing in the case against Frank R. Andriola was canceled Thursday, a court clerk said.

Andriola, who lives near Kirk Lake, was arrested early Saturday after East Fishkill police said an officer found him in a parked car with the boy in the Leetown Road Recreation Area in Stormville at 2:49 a.m.

Police said Andriola had met the boy over the Internet.

He was charged with third-degree criminal sexual act, a felony, endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, and trespassing, a violation. He was being held on $50,000 bail in Dutchess County Jail.

Andriola was a volunteer with the Mahopac Falls Fire Department and, until Wednesday, was listed on the department's Web site as a captain of the fire police.

Messages left with fire Chief Jeffrey Boyle on the status of Andriola's membership in the department have not been returned.

Served in ambulance corps

Andriola also drove an ambulance for the Pleasantville Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and a spokeswoman there said Thursday he had been suspended pending the outcome of the case.

East Fishkill police said the case remained under investigation.

Andriola struck a pedestrian on Bullet Hole Road in Mahopac while responding to a report of a fire last year. He was not charged.

This month, a 21-year-old Peekskill volunteer firefighter, Steven LaFuente, was suspended from the department after he was charged with first-degree criminal sexual act, accused of abusing a 7-year-old girl for at least a year.

In 2004, an ex-captain in the Peekskill department was sentenced to 10 years in prison for molesting two girls in his Cortlandt home.