Boy, 13, Questioned in Rape of 8-Year-Old Girl in Library Bathroom: Sources

The girl says she was raped in the bathroom of a library in Harlem

A 13-year-old boy was being questioned after an 8-year-old girl says she was raped in the bathroom of a library in Harlem, according to the NYPD.

The girl was at the Countee Cullen Library on East 136th Street with a caregiver and older brother when the 13-year-old allegedly lured her into a bathroom, then attacked her. She knew the boy and willingly went into the bathroom with him, police said.

The girl was acting strangely when she went home, police said, and later told her parents what happened. Then they called police. 

She told investigators the teen threatened to hurt her brother if she told anyone, according to sources.

The library was closed to the public Thursday after the attack, and the New York Public Library is working with the NYPD in the investigation. 

"The safety of our patrons is always our highest priority and the New York Public Library is deeply disturbed by this incident," the library said in a statement. 

Shimon Prokupecz contributed to this report

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