Sealed Info Was Released in Saxon Woods Sex Case

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- County Police should not have released the names and mug shots of 16 men arrested in Saxon Woods Park last Friday, law enforcement officials said.

Police said they released the names last week in an attempt to deter others from capitalizing on the reputation of the White Plains park as a safe destination for anonymous sexual encounters. However, a majority of the 16 arrests made since May in "Operation Overexposed" resulted in cases that have been concluded and sealed in the White Plains City Court. The New York Times reported  that 11 of the cases were "sealed," meaning officials cannot speak about them publicly.

The White Plains City Court failed to uphold its end of a state law requiring it to notify police when cases are sealed, according to Kieran O’Leary, a press representative for the Westchester County Police Department.

Before sending a list of the 16 Westchester County, Fairfield County, Conn., and New York City residents arrested to several news outlets, O’Leary said the department double checked the status of the cases with the court.

“The Department, as a precaution, contacted the city court on Friday, Oct. 14 to check on the status of specific cases and was told that those cases were not sealed. The press release was issued the same day,” O’Leary said in a statement.

Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore’s office said it could not comment on the release of the cases because they were sealed.

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