New York Father Sues For $10 Million After Rescuing Daughter And Alleging Abuse In Psychiatric Care

A father who managed to locate and bring home his missing daughter has now taken legal action, claiming she faced further harm while under medical care. He is seeking $10 million in damages after alleging that his child was assaulted while placed in psychiatric facilities.

Back in December 2024, Emmarae Gervasi, a 14-year-old from East Patchogue in Suffolk County, Long Island, was reported missing. Her sudden disappearance left her family searching for answers and fearing for her safety.

Her father, Frank Gervasi, turned to social media during that time, hoping that someone might have information about where his daughter had gone or who she might have been with.

After weeks without answers, Frank eventually received an anonymous tip that pointed him in the right direction. Acting on that information, he was able to locate his daughter on a large boat docked in Long Island.

By that point, she had been missing for close to a month, and the situation she had reportedly been in was deeply concerning. Reports suggest that during her time away, she had been held against her will and repeatedly abused by adult men.

Authorities later charged several individuals in connection with the case, including a 37-year-old man named Daniel Soto, as investigations into the situation moved forward.

Daniel Soto has been charged in relation to Emmarae's disappearance Suffolk County Sheriff's Office

Following her rescue, Emmarae was placed into psychiatric care to help her recover from what she had experienced. She was admitted to two different facilities as part of that process.

However, according to her father, those placements did not provide the protection and care he had been promised. Instead, he now claims that she faced further harm during her time in those environments.

Frank has since filed a lawsuit against Suffolk County and New York State, arguing that officials failed to keep his daughter safe despite knowing there were risks.

The lawsuit includes claims that one of the facilities had already been warned about concerning behavior from a staff member before any alleged incident took place. The employee, identified as Deshaun McClean, had reportedly been described as acting inappropriately toward the minor.

Despite that warning, the lawsuit claims that no meaningful action was taken to prevent further issues. Just days later, that same employee allegedly assaulted Emmarae while she was under their care.

After this incident, she was moved to another facility, Brentwood House, where the situation is said to have repeated itself with another staff member.

Frank Gervasi is sueing for $10 million Frank Gervasi/Facebook

According to the claims, a second employee, named as Joseph Edward, was also involved in an alleged assault. These incidents have raised serious concerns about how the facilities were managed and whether proper safeguards were in place.

Reports indicate that both McClean and Edward have been charged with sex-related crimes involving a minor, adding further weight to the allegations presented in the lawsuit.

With these events forming the basis of his case, Frank is now pursuing legal action in an attempt to hold those responsible accountable.

In the lawsuit, it is stated that authorities had reassured the family about the safety of the placements. "The Father was encouraged and reassured by the Country of Suffolk and the Court, that this was safe and in [Emmarae's] best interest to be placed in [Sagamore Children's Psychiatric and later Brentwood Residential Center] facilities."

The filing goes on to argue that there was a clear failure to act despite known risks. "The minor was in a zone of danger, and despite that knowledge, [officials] took no steps to protect the minor."

The case continues to develop as legal proceedings move forward, with attention focused on how the situation was handled and whether more could have been done to prevent what allegedly occurred.