McDonald's Manager Repeatedly Sexually Assaulted 14-Year-Old Employee Inside Walk-In Freezer

A Minnesota McDonald's manager was charged Tuesday after prosecutors alleged he repeatedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old employee.

A criminal complaint stated that Andrew Joseph Otero-Albertorio, 24, and the victim started communicating via SnapChat in November 2018. He tried to kiss her several times but the teen refused his advances. He then discussed sex with her but she told her other colleagues that she refused his moves as she did not want to get into trouble because of her age.

In December, he confronted her while the two were in the Maple Grove restaurant’s walk-in cooler. He started touching her and told her he wanted to have sex. After she refused, she raped her, the New York Post reported.

Prosecutors said he then sexually assaulted her several times not just in the restaurant’s cooler, but also in a back room and in his car and home. The girl told investigators she “felt pressured into the act” and that he also gave her extra hours and paid her directly in order to avoid violating the state’s child labor laws which allow children of 14 and 15 to work only limited hours in certain jobs.

Shahab Hyder, who owns the McDonald's franchise, said, "We are appalled by the alleged actions of this manager. Nothing is more important than the safety and security of our customers and employees, and I can confirm this manager is no longer employed by my organization,” the Sun reported.

County Attorney Mike Freeman said: "These sexual assaults, if proven in court, reflect deplorable conduct. A 24-year-old manager abusing his position of authority upon a young girl is wrong. Thankfully, the legislature has made such conduct a serious felony, and rightfully so."

Otero-Albertorio was charged with five felony criminal sexual conduct charges with each of it having a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, NBC-affiliated television station Kare 11 reported.

He is currently jailed on $100,000 bail, is due back in court on Feb.22, 2019.

In a similar incident of a teen being subjected to sexual assault, a New Jersey high school teacher and basketball coach were charged with repeatedly sexually assaulting a teen earlier this month. The victim, aged between 13 and 16 years, said the assault began in summer of 2018 and continued till earlier this month. The 53-year-old teacher was suspended with pay till February by the Jackson school district.

“The safety and security of our students and staff is our most important priority. As this involves a district staff member, we want our families to know that if any student needs help processing this information, we encourage you to contact your school’s guidance counselor or principal,” the district said in a letter.