A man who founded a safety patrol in a New York Orthodox Jewish community has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a teenage girl.

The plea allows Jacob Daskal, who led a neighbourhood watch group in New York, to avoid a trial in a case that alleged he groomed a 15-year-old girl for sex.

Daskal headed the Boro Park Shomrim Society, an Orthodox Jewish crime-patrol group associated with the New York Police Department.

A New York court heard Daskal used his position with the Shomrim to take the girl into his home and groom her.

Daskal, then 58 years-old, subjected the 15-year-old victim to sexual acts between August and November 2017.

The sexual conduct occurred primarily at his house in Brooklyn and at his summer house in South Fallsburg, New York.  

At the end of August, Daskal, his family and the young girl returned full-time to his house in Brooklyn, where the abuse continued.  

As the school year started, Daskal helped the victim find a new school in Chicago, Illinois, and, in October 2017, she moved there to attend that school and live with another family.

While the victim was in Chicago, Daskal communicated with the victim via text message and over Skype video chat.  

In November 2017, he travelled to Chicago for a day trip to visit the girl. Daskal booked a hotel room in Chicago, and he brought the victim to the hotel for sexual intercourse. He later flew back to New York.

Throughout the abuse, he instructed the girl to delete their communications and warned her not to tell anyone about their sexual relationship.  

Daskal also used his position as a leader in their community to silence the victim, bragging about his connections to law enforcement and warning her that it would ruin her life if she told anyone about their relationship. 

As part of the plea agreement, Daskal must register as a sex offender, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn.

In a statement, US Attorney Breon Peace said: “The defendant has admitted he abused his power, trust and position in the community by committing deplorable acts against a child in his care.”

Daskal faces a prison sentence of up to 14 years after pleading guilty.