48°
Fred Mastroianni, a resident of White Plains, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for grooming a young victim over the course of several years.
Additionally, he was convicted of receiving and distributing child pornography.
The announcement was made by the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York on Thursday, August 15th.
According to federal officials, Mastroianni repeatedly sexually abused a young victim beginning when they were just 10 years old.
On several occasions, until the victim turned 14, Mastroianni had his co-defendant, 49-year-old White Plains resident Ismet Korac, coerce them into engaging in sexual activities over live video calls.
Mastroianni kept the recordings of this abuse and nude photographs of the victim for years, officials said, adding that he broke the victim's "will and spirit" to resist him through a combination of threats and promises of gifts.
When the victim turned 17, Mastroianni kept offering his victim money and clothes in exchange for more photos and videos of them engaging in sex acts.
The next year, Mastroianni, who was then 48 years old, began paying the then 18-year-old victim to have sex with himself and other men, officials said.
This continued until Mastroianni's arrest.
In addition to these years of abuse, Mastroianni also amassed an "extensive" collection of child sex abuse material which he shared with others over the internet.
This collection included videos of rape, incest, and "unspeakable abuse" to very young children, according to federal officials.
Mastroianni eventually pleaded guilty to one count of receiving and distributing child sex abuse material as well as one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
After his prison term is over, Mastroianni will also be required to serve a lifetime of supervised release.
Additionally, he was ordered to pay $10,000 in assessments and restitution.
As for Korac, he pleaded guilty to enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity and was sentenced to 25 years in prison in April.
US Attorney Damian Williams condemned Mastroianni's actions, calling them "horrific."
"Mastroianni is being punished for the devastating harm and trauma he inflicted on his minor victims and their families.
This office will do everything in its power to protect children and bring those who sexually exploit them to justice," Williams said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Bedford and receive free news updates.
