MEDFORD, N.Y. – A 44-year-old Honduran national has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing three young girls inside a TJ Maxx in Medford, nearly 10 months after his arrest in a case previously reported by Shore News Network.
Jimmy Harry Velasquez Gomez pleaded guilty Thursday to three counts of first-degree sexual abuse, each a Class D violent felony, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said the victims were 7, 9 and 11 years old when they were targeted during separate visits to the store in 2025.
The guilty plea resolves the criminal case against Velasquez Gomez, who has remained in custody since his Nov. 1 arrest in East Islip. Shore News Network reported on his arrest last November after police connected him to the three incidents.
Three Children Targeted During Separate Shopping Trips
The first incident occurred April 19, 2025, when a 7-year-old girl was shopping with her mother and received permission to look around the toy aisle.
Prosecutors said Velasquez Gomez approached the child while she was alone in the aisle and squeezed her buttocks. The girl immediately returned to her mother and told her what happened, but her mother was unable to locate him before calling police.
- Velasquez Gomez pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree sexual abuse.
- The victims were 7, 9 and 11 years old, and prosecutors said surveillance video captured him at the store on each incident date.
- He is expected to receive six years in prison followed by 10 years of post-release supervision when sentenced Oct. 9.
A second incident happened Sept. 20, 2025, when an 11-year-old girl walked away from her parents to look for a gift for a friend. According to prosecutors, she saw Velasquezgomez nearby touching his genitals through his clothing before he approached and grabbed her buttocks as he passed.
The child told her parents, but Velasquezgomez had already left the store. Her family contacted police and reported what happened.
How many children did Jimmy Harry Velasquez Gomez admit sexually abusing?
Velasquezgomez pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree sexual abuse involving three girls who were 7, 9 and 11 years old at the time of the separate incidents.
Surveillance Video Helped Connect the Three Incidents
The third assault occurred Oct. 29, 2025, while a 9-year-old girl was shopping with her mother.
The child received permission to walk to the far side of an aisle to look at toys. Prosecutors said Velasquez Gomez passed her, repeatedly looked down the aisle, approached her, lifted the bottom of her sweatshirt and squeezed her buttocks.
The girl ran back to her mother, who contacted police.
Investigators with the Suffolk County Police Department collected surveillance video that showed Velasquez Gomez inside the store on each of the three dates, according to the district attorney’s office.
In footage connected to the October incident, prosecutors said Velasquezgomez was also seen touching his genitals over his clothing while staring at the 9-year-old girl.
The investigation ultimately led police to Velasquez Gomez in East Islip on Nov. 1. He was arrested and has remained jailed since then.
“This defendant deliberately targeted innocent children as they went about their daily lives, exploiting their vulnerability for his own sickening purposes,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said.
What sentence will Velasquezgomez receive?
He is scheduled to return to court Oct. 9, when prosecutors said he will be sentenced to three concurrent six-year prison terms followed by 10 years of post-release supervision.
Guilty Plea Brings Prison Sentence and Stay-Away Orders
Velasquezgomez entered the guilty pleas before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis.
Because the three six-year terms are expected to run concurrently, he will serve a six-year prison sentence rather than 18 consecutive years, followed by the 10-year period of supervision.
Full stay-away orders will be imposed for each of the three victims. Velasquezgomez was also certified as a sex offender, according to prosecutors.
“My office will not tolerate predators who threaten the trust and security that Suffolk County families deserve,” Tierney said. “We remain resolute in defending our community against those who harm children.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Raso of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau. Detective Jhon Puentes of the Suffolk County Police Department Special Victims Section conducted the investigation.
Velasquezgomez is represented by attorney Daniel Belano.
Where did the sexual abuse take place?
All three incidents occurred inside the same TJ Maxx in Medford, Suffolk County, during separate shopping trips between April and October 2025.
Sources: Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Suffolk County Police Department; Shore News Network’s original report on the arrest
