Prosecutors dismissed charges Thursday against an intern at a pricey preschool who was accused of molesting 13 children.
Malthe Thomsen, 22, was cleared before a packed courtroom by prosecutors who said that “after a careful and thorough investigation” they decided they “could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Previously, they revealed that all but one of the 4- and 5-year-olds allegedly molested at the International Preschools on E. 45th St. had denied there was any wrongdoing.
Thomsen, who hails from Denmark and worked at the school as an intern, and his parents broke down in tears after hearing the news at an afternoon hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Thomsen said he was “relieved most of all” and vowed to pursue his “passion” of teaching after he finishes school in Copenhagen.
The allegations by the co-worker, Mariangela Kefalas, would not bring him down, he said.
“I won’t let one person and a crazy justice system ruin that,” he said, telling reporters that he has pending job offers from supporters at home.
“I really don’t know what to say about Mariangela because at no point in time I’ve been able to comprehend why she’s done the things she’s done,” he added.
Prosecutors cleared Thomsen “as a legal matter” but refused to adopt the coerced confession argument his lawyers put forward because of a lack of corroborating evidence.
“The people thoroughly investigated these claims and found no evidence that the defendant’s statements were improperly obtained or that they were false,” Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ferrari said.
Thomsen’s lawyer, Jane Fisher-Byrialsen, described the ordeal as a “witch-hunt” and ripped the DA for dragging her client through the mud as they tossed the case.
“Their explanation is a cop-out,” she said, adding she was relieved at the ultimate result.
She has previously said Thomsen was coerced by lying investigators who said they had footage of him engaging in the conduct, which was untrue.
Fisher-Byrialsen said Thomsen is considering a federal lawsuit.
Kefalas was later fired from the prestigious pre-K near the United Nations building, which caters to wealthy families.
She is suing International Preschools for what she claims was wrongful termination.
Kefalas first reported the allegations to her bosses, who cleared Thomsen internally after interviews with staff and observations.
After she was let go, she went to police with her story about Thomsen.
Thomsen was arrested in June and charged with 15 counts of sex abuse in the first degree in a criminal complaint, but no indictment was ever sought as prosecutors continued investigating.
He was held at Rikers Island for weeks before posting a $400,000 bail bond in July.
