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Tuckahoe resident John Mueser was arrested on Thursday, Nov. 19 and charged with sexual exploitation of a 7-year-old minor and with transporting child pornography.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said that on May 1 last year, Mueser induced a 7-year-old he was tutoring to engage in sexually explicit conduct, using his iPhone to record it and then transported the images from Fairfield County to Westchester.
It is alleged that on Oct. 1 last year, Mueser again transported child pornography that he kept on his phone, this time from Westchester to Fairfield County.
Strauss noted that Mueser, who was a teacher in the Bronx, was arrested in March on a host of charges that include child pornography possession and sexual assault.
“John Meuser allegedly used his position of trust as a tutor to engage in unspeakable acts with a 7-year-old child,” Strauss said. “Alleged conduct such as Meuser’s can inflict long-lasting negative effects on victims which no child should ever endure.
“Meuser now faces federal charges and substantial prison time for his craven conduct, as alleged.”
Mueser, 69, was charged with one count of sexual exploitation and one count of transportation of child pornography. If convicted, Meuser faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years in prison.
FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney said that the facts of the case and the announcement of Meuser’s arrest should “make anybody’s stomach turn.”
“Mueser allegedly induced his 7-year-old tutoring student to engage in sexually explicit conduct and recorded it on his phone,” he said. “Mueser's conduct should shock the community into action to help others.”
The investigation into Meuser is ongoing, Strauss noted. Anyone who believes they may have been a victim has been instructed to contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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