UPDATE: A Staten Island man has been arrested for allegedly attempting to lure who he believed was a 15-year-old girl for sexual purposes. Marc Donato, aged 53, was taken into custody on October 23, 2023, around 4 p.m. near 1 Richmond Terrace, according to the NYPD.
Police report that Donato faces multiple charges, including attempted luring of a child, attempted rape, attempted endangering the welfare of a child, and attempted sexual abuse. This case is developing, and authorities are urging any parents whose children may have interacted with Donato to contact the NYPD Sex Crimes Hotline at 212-267-RAPE (7273).
The investigation revealed that Donato had been communicating over a six-week period with an undercover officer posing as a minor named “Bella.” The suspect allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conversations, clearly acknowledging the girl’s purported age. In one exchange, he expressed that it was “kinda exciting & forbidden to be honest” when the officer revealed she was 15.
Donato is accused of arranging to meet the minor at the Staten Island Ferry terminal in St. George on October 23. When the undercover officer, who claimed she was disembarking the ferry, contacted him, Donato reportedly stated he would “wait by H&M” and warned her she was “about to make me do something illegal.”
Upon his arrest, he allegedly told officers, “I’m talking to a bunch of girls online, this is a fantasy of mine to have sex with a stepdaughter… if she was 15 and got to my car I might have let her in.”
Prosecutors requested bail be set at $10,000 cash/$30,000 bond, but the judge denied this request, ordering Donato to be released under supervision, according to the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office.
Donato’s attorney, Lou Gelormino, has stated, “Mr. Donato categorically denies these allegations. We look forward to a full investigation into the facts where we expect Mr. Donato to be fully vindicated.” His next scheduled court appearance in Criminal Court, St. George is set for December 15.
The NYPD is continuing to investigate this case and urges any additional potential victims to come forward by calling the Sexual Assault Hotline at 646-610-7272 or Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (8477). Spanish speakers can contact 888-57-PISTA (74782), and anonymous tips can also be submitted online at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or through X @NYPDTips. All calls will remain confidential.
Stay tuned for more updates as this urgent story develops.
