"Big Foot" Counselor Pleads Guilty to Sex Abuse at NY Juvenile Facility, Faces Prison Time

Hayes is facing multiple lawsuits from victims who claim she fondled and assaulted them

A former counselor at an upstate New York juvenile detention center, nicknamed "Big Foot" by staff, has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing multiple teenage boys under her supervision. Maya Hayes, 47, admitted to one felony count of criminal sexual act in a plea deal with Columbia County prosecutors and now faces up to 2½ years in prison.

Hayes, who worked at Brookwood Youth Facility near Albany, targeted at least five victims—some as young as 15—by bribing them with phone privileges, snacks, and hair products before assaulting them, according to court filings. Multiple lawsuits allege she forced the teens to fondle her breasts and demanded oral sex, telling one victim she was "sexually frustrated at home" and that abusing minors gave her "a rush."

Victims claim Hayes abused them while they were serving time in Brookwood for juvenile offenses

One accuser, then 16, claimed Hayes lifted her shirt and asked, "Do you like big boobs?" Another said she complained he wasn’t "squeezing her breasts hard enough." Staff reportedly knew of the abuse and joked about Hayes, referring to her by the mocking nickname "Big Foot."

New York State Police arrested Hayes in April on 65 counts, including rape and criminal sexual acts. While she denied the allegations in court filings, her guilty plea marks the first step toward accountability, said attorney Evan Brustein, who represents several victims.

Hayes pleaded guilty last month to one criminal charge in the case, records show

Hayes will be sentenced in September and could face 10 years of post-release supervision, plus mandatory sex offender registration for at least 20 years. Brookwood Secure Center houses individuals under 21, raising concerns about systemic oversight failures.