A 34-year-old Bronx juvenile detention center supervisor has pleaded guilty in connection with beating a 16-year-old detention center resident and false reporting, federal officials announced on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Daquan Seymour, a supervisor at the Horizon Juvenile Center (“Horizon”), a secure detention center for juveniles located at 560 Brook Avenue in the South Bronx, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in connection with the beating of a 16-year-old resident at Horizon (“Minor Victim-1”), and an attempt to cover-up the beating on April 25, 2022.

Prosecutors said Seymour pled guilty to depriving Minor Victim-1 of his constitutional rights under color of law, and as part of his guilty plea, he admitted that he prepared a false report following the assault of Minor Victim-1 on April 25, 2022, in which he omitted reference to the assault of Minor Victim-1.

Prosecutors said that in addition, as part of his guilty plea, Seymour also agreed not to dispute that he falsified another incident report in connection with an earlier attempted assault of a 17-year-old resident at Horizon (“Minor Victim-2”) on Dec. 29, 2021. They said Seymour was arrested on July 26, 2023, and pled guilty on Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.

Reacting to the news, Williams said, “Daquan Seymour, a supervisor at a juvenile detention facility, abused his position of authority by assaulting a vulnerable 16-year-old boy who was detained pending trial. Seymour also lied on his reports about this and another assault on a minor in his care.”

Williams added, “Seymour’s pattern of violence toward youth and obstruction has now come to an end as he faces justice. This Office is committed to protecting the constitutional rights of all New Yorkers, including minors residing at youth detention facilities, and will ensure that those who abuse their power and harm vulnerable members of our society are held accountable.”

The court heard that on or about April 25, 2022, Seymour was employed as an associate youth development specialist at Horizon, which was operated by the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (“ACS”).  Associate youth development specialists at Horizon are responsible for, among other things, supervising other staff members and ensuring the safety of all juvenile residents.

Prosecutors said that at the time of the beating, Minor Victim-1 was a 16-year-old juvenile resident at Horizon, who was detained pending trial. Following a confrontation between several staff members and juvenile residents at Horizon, including Minor Victim-1, they said Seymour, along with a fellow supervisor violently dragged Minor Victim-1 by his forearms across the floor of a residential hall and into a private room (the “Room”).

They said once inside the Room, Seymour and the other supervisor beat Minor Victim-1, striking him repeatedly and forcefully as Minor Victim-1 lay on the floor. They said that as a result of the beating, Minor Victim-1 suffered bodily injuries, including a deep laceration to his upper lip area, which required Minor Victim-1 to be transported to a nearby hospital for emergency medical care where he received nine stitches.

Prosecutors said that following the beating of Minor Victim-1, Seymour attempted to cover up his participation in the beating. They said in particular, he prepared an incident report that described the confrontation between Horizon residents and staff members that immediately preceded the assault but failed to disclose that he dragged or physically assaulted Minor Victim-1.

They said Seymour pled guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided for informational purposes only as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

Williams praised the Department of Investigation for what he described as their outstanding work on the matter. He also thanked the special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for what he said was their significant assistance.

The prosecution of the case is being handled by the Southern District of New York’s civil rights unit within the criminal division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamie Bagliebter, Lisa Daniels, and Mitzi S. Steiner are leading the prosecution.

As reported, various Bronx elected officials joined survivors of abuse that allegedly occurred in various youth detention centers across The Bronx on Tuesday, April 30, to announce the filing of more than 150 civil lawsuits against The City of New York made possible by a law passed by the New York City Council in 2021, which extended the statute of limitations, granting survivors of gender-motivated violence an additional two years to pursue civil actions. Read that story here.