Former State Psychologist Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Multiple Teens
Dr. Maya Hayes of Albany, 46, has pleaded guilty to charges that she assaulted multiple teens while she was employed as a New York state psychologist at a juvenile detention center in the Hudson Valley.
Hayes appeared in Columbia County Court on Wednesday, June 25, where she issued guilty pleas to third-degree criminal sexual act with multiple patients between the ages of 16 and 18, starting in 2020 and going on throughout 2022. The charge is defined as "oral or anal sexual conduct with someone incapable of consenting" under New York State law.
The offences in question took place at the state-run Brookwood Secure Center for Youth, located in Claverack in Columbia County, officials say, and involved detained juveniles who were in state custody at the time.
On April 12, 2024, the New York State Police in conjunction with the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office, the New York Office of Children and Family Services, and the New York State Justice Center, arrested Hayes. Following an extensive investigation, it was determined Hayes sexually assaulted numerous victims at the Secure Center over the course of several years while employed as the facility clinician.
Hayes was indicted by a grand jury for 62 counts of Criminal Sexual Act in the 3rd degree, and three counts of Rape in the 3rd degree, all class E felonies.
The investigation was led by New York State Police, the Columbia County DA’s Office, the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), and the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs, which handles abuse cases in state-run facilities.
Hayes is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday, September 10.