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William Sperl, age 60, of Deer Park, was arraigned on seven counts of rape and related charges in Suffolk County Court on Tuesday, Sept. 12.
According to prosecutors, Sperl met the victim in 2019 when she was 15 years old and a student in his audio production class at the Eastern Suffolk BOCES campus in Riverhead.
The two began communicating through an application used by the school for teachers to message students about assignments, prosecutors said.
In 2020, when the victim was 16 years old, Sperl allegedly began messaging the girl on her cell phone. The conversations turned flirtatious, with Sperl asking her to send him intimate images and videos, according to prosecutors.
The two began engaging in sexual acts in June 2020, often at public parks, prosecutors said. On several occasions, Sperl allegedly had sexual intercourse with the victim on an empty school bus parked on school grounds.
Prosecutors said the victim finally came forward and reported the abuse after realizing what Sperl did was wrong, and out of concern for other potential victims.
“This defendant allegedly used his role as an educator to prey on a student for his own sexual desires,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney. “The safety of children in our schools and community is a non-negotiable priority and this kind of abuse will not be tolerated.”
In court Tuesday, Sperl was arraigned on the following charges:
- Seven counts of third-degree rape (felony)
- Seven counts of criminal sexual act (felony)
- Endangering the welfare of a child (misdemeanor)
- Five counts of third-degree sexual abuse (misdemeanors)
Sperl was later released from custody under supervision after posting bail. He was forced to surrender his passport as a condition for release.
He is due back in court on Tuesday, Oct. 31.
In a message to students and parents, district Superintendent David Wicks said the school is fully cooperating with the investigation into Sperl’s alleged conduct.
“The safety of our students, faculty, staff, and community is our foremost priority,” Wicks said.
Suffolk County Police said the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to call the Special Victims Section at 631-852-6361.
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