Garnet Collins — a 51-year-old immigrant and New York special needs aide who went viral a few months ago after video shocking video showed him dragging a teen with autism by his genitals — has since admitted to the felony abuse and now faces possible deportation.
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In November 2024, FOX 5 New York reported that a New York facility that helps children with autism came under fire after a special needs aide was accused of dragging a teen by his genitals. The Dutchess County facility, known as the Anderson Center for Autism, has been a renowned private institution and has been long praised for its work and services with special-needs children and adults.
The Anderson Center has been servicing individuals with autism and developmental disabilities for over 100 years. However, claims about the care provided behind closed doors at the facility soon overshadowed the facility’s longstanding success. This is also not the first time the facility, which sits in upstate Staatsburg, about 10 miles north of Poughkeepsie, has faced allegations of abuse.
According to FOX 5 NY’s Teresa Priolo, the teen’s family shared a warning for other families. Anil, the father whose teen son with autism was allegedly abused and dragged by his genitals by the New York facility’s aide, spoke about the horrific incident. Anil said, “Every day. Every day. Every day. It kills me to think about the amount of abuse and torture he went through.”
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FOX 5 NY reported that the allegations first came to light in August 2024, when a whistleblower working at the New York special needs facility recorded a video showing what appeared to be 51-year-old aide, Garnet Collins, abusing Anil’s teen son with autism and dragging him by his genitals and yelling, “Got to your room!,” while the teen screamed in pain and cried out, “I want to call Mommy!”
Additionally, it was reported that the teen had previously been injured at the facility in 2023 when another caregiver allegedly struck him in the face with a broom handle. The staff initially claimed the injury was self-inflicted or caused by another resident, but an investigation later revealed a caregiver was at fault. Also during his time at Anderson, the teen lost a significant amount of weight, and the whistleblower claimed caregivers, including Collins, would often send him to bed without eating.
In the disturbing and shocking footage, the special needs aide was allegedly trying to control the teen with autism by squeezing his genitals and dragging him. The whistleblower at the facility, who risked his work visa to expose the abuse, sent the video to Anil’s ex-wife, who then forwarded it to Anil. Recalling that moment, he said, “I just let out the loudest scream, and my world shattered. We immediately got in the car, drove upstate, pulled him out of the residence, and contacted the New York State Troopers.”
The special needs aide was then arrested by New York State Police and charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of an incompetent person, a class E felony, and one count of forcible touching, a misdemeanor. That same day, Collins was released without bail. Collins had worked at the Anderson Center for three years, however, the teen’s family doesn’t believe this is his first time intimidating special needs patients.
FOX 5 NY has now reported that the New York special needs aide admitted to abusing the teen with autism and dragging him by genitals as he pleaded guilty to the felony, now leaving him to face prison time and possible deportation. In a Dutchess County criminal courtroom on January 29, Collins first told Judge Edward McLoughlin, “I hold him by his waist, your honor.”
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Interrupting him, the judge said, “My understanding is that in an attempt to control this person with this condition, you grabbed him by his genitals and you hurt him. Is that fair?” Collins admitted, “Yes, your honor,” and proceeded to plead guilty to endangering the welfare of an incompetent person. In court, Collins also admitted to hitting another patient with autism in the head with a laptop, bruising him.
However, that charge was dropped as part of his plea deal, which includes a one to three-year prison sentence. It’s also reported that the whistleblower who recorded the first teen’s incident and alerted the parents had done both for the second patient and was fired.
During court, the New York special needs aide, who admitted to dragging the teen with autism by his genitals, also said he is not an American citizen but “a permanent resident,” and now his guilty plea to a felony leaves him at risk of deportation. The judge added that he could be paroled to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents at any time after starting his prison term. Collins was sent back to jail as he awaits sentencing on April 2.
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