Former New York prosecutor who teaches at a Catholic school charged with raping a 13-year-old girl

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From Hella Winston And Susan Edelman

As The Post has learned, a former prosecutor and current religious teacher has been charged with the rape of a 13-year-old girl.

Daniel Haines, 39, a former assistant district attorney from the Bronx and Brooklyn who taught at Mt. Carmel-Holy Rosary in East Harlem, is also accused of filming her sexual encounter on his cellphone and exchanging “multiple photographs and videos of a sexual nature” with her via email, according to a criminal complaint filed by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The alleged abuse occurred “multiple times” between April 18, 2022, and April 7, 2023, when the victim was in 7th and 8th grade, the complaint states.

He was arrested on May 17.

A partially redacted address, quoted in the The complaint alleges that the abuse occurred at Mt. Carmel, where Haines was a teacher at the time.

The complaint alleges that a rape occurred at a desk.

Mt. Carmel Principal Trista Rivera sent an email to parents saying they could call Manhattan Child Protective Services at 212-335-4300 if their children had “any type of contact” with Haines.

“The school has cooperated fully with the investigation into this allegation and will continue to do so,” Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York, told the Post.

Rivera and Zwilling did not explain why Haines left Mt. Carmel, nor did they confirm that the 13-year-old victim was a student at that school, causing confusion and concern among parents.

A spokesman said Haines worked in the Bronx district attorney’s office from 2009 to 2019.

He was responsible for prosecuting major gang and drug-related crimes.

He then worked briefly for the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. Spokesman Oren Yaniv declined to comment on the reasons for his departure. His last salary with the city was $105,000.

Haines then took a job in Mt. Carmel, where the average teacher salary is $54,768.

He stayed until the end of the 2022-23 school year.

A Mt. Carmel mother told The Post that she had complained about Haines, her child’s 6th and 7th grade English teacher.

“I thought he was horrible, but the principal either ignored me or told me he cared about the children,” she said. “Then he left the school, but he always showed up.” It’s just weird.”

As of September 2023, Haines attended the Heschel School, a Jewish day academy on the Upper West Side, where he taught middle school and coached basketball and a mock trial.

In a recent letter to parents, Principal Ariela Dubler and Board President Ben Archibald said, “All alleged misconduct occurred prior to Daniel’s arrival at Heschel. We are not aware of any allegations of criminal or inappropriate behavior within the Heschel community.”

Haines was hired after a check of his references and criminal record, the letter said. When the school learned of his arrest, “we placed him on leave and revoked his access to our systems and buildings.”

According to documents, Haines pleaded not guilty and was released on $350,000 bail.

His legal aid lawyer responded to a call seeking comment.