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Child Exploitation

7 Suspects Nabbed In Undercover Child Exploitation, Trafficking Detail In Hudson Valley 7 Suspects Nabbed In Undercover Child Exploitation, Trafficking Detail In Hudson Valley
7 Suspects Nabbed In Undercover Child Exploitation, Trafficking Detail In Hudson Valley Seven suspects have been charged following an undercover child exploitation detail. It was conducted over several days by New York State Police and the FBI in Orange County, in the town of Wallkill. "The detail deployed highly trained Investigators and agents to infiltrate online platforms where these crimes are often facilitated," according to state police. "Utilizing advanced cyber tactics, Investigators and Agents were able to identify individuals attempting to exploit vulnerable children through the internet and meet them in person." As a result of the operation, the following ind…
Man Took 5-Year-Old To VA, Upstate NY For Sex: USDOJ Man Took 5-Year-Old To VA, Upstate NY For Sex: USDOJ
Man Took 5-Year-Old To VA, Upstate NY For Sex: Usdoj A 54-year-old Pennsylvania man has been sentenced after admitting to taking a 5-year-old girl for sex in Virginia and New York, the US Department of Justice announced on Wednesday, Sept. 25.  John Oathout, of Harrisburg, PA, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes in Syracuse, NY on Friday, Sept. 20. He'll serve 25 years in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release, and he'll be a registered sex offender for the remainder of his life, according to the USDOJ release.  Oathout admitted to taking the 5-year-old girl on trips out of state w…
19-Year-Old Charged In Hudson Valley Sex Crimes Case 19-Year-Old Charged In Hudson Valley Sex Crimes Case
19-Year-Old Accused Of Enticing Child To Perform Sex Acts In A 19-year-old man has been charged with allegedly inducing a child under 17 to perform sexual acts in the Hudson Valley. Daniel N. Montesdeoca, age 19, of New York City, was arrested on Thursday, April 11, in connection with a recent investigation into the sexual performance of a child. Montesdeoca was taken into custody after a month-long investigation by the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau.  At this time, he is accused of inducing a child less than 17 years old to perform sexual acts over the Internet, said Capt. John Watterson of the Dutchess County Sheriff's Offi…
'Deviant, Destructive': Man Gets Prison Time For Raping Child In Hudson Valley 'Deviant, Destructive': Man Gets Prison Time For Raping Child In Hudson Valley
'Deviant, Destructive': Man Gets Prison Time For Raping Child In Hudson Valley A Connecticut man will spend more than a decade in prison for raping a child in New York's Hudson Valley. Fairfield County resident Patrick Lynch of Bethel, age 44, was sentenced on Tuesday, Sept. 26 in Orange County Court to 18 years in prison and 20 years of post-release supervision. According to Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler, Lynch had previously admitted in court that he had engaged in two or more acts of sexual conduct with a child less than 13 years old, including at least one act of sexual intercourse, oral sexual conduct, anal sexual conduct, or aggravated…
Former HS Teacher Enticed Student To Engage In Sexual Activity In Westchester: Feds Former HS Teacher Enticed Student To Engage In Sexual Activity In Westchester: Feds
Former HS Teacher Enticed Student To Engage In Sexual Activity In Westchester: Feds A former Westchester County high school teacher from Fairfield County faces more than a decade in prison after allegedly enticing one of her 16-year-old students to engage in sexual activity while making her believe they were in a romantic relationship, federal officials said. Bethel resident Sandy Carazas-Pinez, age 34, has been indicted on charges related to her alleged sexual exploitation of one of her students while she was employed at a school in Yonkers, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Wednesday, July 12.  According to federal officials…
Sexual Predator Sting: Attorney Nabbed After Arranging To Meet Girl In Hudson Valley, DA Says Sexual Predator Sting: Attorney Nabbed After Arranging To Meet Girl In Hudson Valley, DA Says
Sexual Predator Sting: Attorney Nabbed After Arranging To Meet Girl In Hudson Valley, DA Says An undercover investigation in the Hudson Valley has led to the arrest of a Long Island attorney who is accused of preying on a minor using online platforms. Long Island resident Daniel Waxman, age 55, was arrested on Wednesday, May 31 after authorities say he arrived in Rockland County to meet with whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl. From Monday, May 22 up until Wednesday, an undercover investigator from the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office posing as a minor engaged in a series of text conversations with Waxman, Rockland DA Thomas E. Walsh said. The undercover inve…
Enticing Minors Online: Hudson Valley Man Sentenced For Illegal Sexual Activity Enticing Minors Online: Hudson Valley Man Sentenced For Illegal Sexual Activity
Enticing Minors Online: Hudson Valley Man Sentenced For Illegal Sexual Activity A Hudson Valley man will spend decades in prison for using the internet to entice minors to engage in sexual activity, federal officials said.  Putnam County resident Marcelo Marin Vargas, age 45, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday, May 9 after pleading guilty to enticing minors to engage in illegal sexual activity over the internet, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.  According to federal officials, Vargas used a computer and the internet to persuade, entice, and coerce three underage girls to send him images and videos o…
Man Charged With Making Child Sex Tapes In Hudson Valley, Police Say Man Charged With Making Child Sex Tapes In Hudson Valley, Police Say
Man Charged With Making Child Sex Tapes In Hudson Valley, Police Say A 23-year-old man has been charged with allegedly meeting a minor in the Hudson Valley for sex and for having sexually-explicit tapes of minors. Richard Rosa, was arrested in Orange County on Tuesday, April 25 in Wallkill following an investigation that found he met an underage female with the intent to engage in sexual relations, said Lt. Robert McLymore, of the Wallkill Police. Rosa, who police say is homeless, was also found to be in possession of sexually explicit material involving a minor, McLymore said. Wallkill Police were assisted by: Orange County Distr…
Attempted NY Child Rapist Drove 285 Miles For Sex With '13-Year-Old,' Police Say Attempted NY Child Rapist Drove 285 Miles For Sex With '13-Year-Old,' Police Say
Attempted NY Child Rapist Drove 285 Miles For Sex With '13-Year-Old,' Police Say An attempted child rapist avoided lockup after driving hundreds of miles to the region to have sex with who he thought was an underage teen, authorities said. Cary Youngs, age 28, of Hamburg in Erie County, in western New York, was arrested Thursday, April 27, in the Capital Region, in the Albany County town of Colonie, following a police pursuit that lasted nearly 15 minutes, according to state police. Investigators from the agency’s Computer Crimes Unit and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, along with the FBI, determined that he drove from Buffalo to Colonie - a distance of 28…
Hudson Valley Youth Being Extorted On Social Media, Police Say Hudson Valley Youth Being Extorted On Social Media, Police Say
Hudson Valley Youth Being Extorted On Social Media, Police Say Police in the Hudson Valley are warning parents of a group that is targeting youth on social media for suggestive photos and then blackmailing them for cash.  The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office reports the investigation into multiple cases of local youths being extorted via social media over the past week, said Capt. John Watterson of the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office.  Watterson said the extortion begins when the perpetrator befriends the child posing as someone their age on social media, then at some point asks the child to share explicit photos of themselves…
Would-Be Child Rapist Busted By Undercover Agents In Capital Region, Police Say Would-Be Child Rapist Busted By Undercover Agents In Capital Region, Police Say
Would-Be Child Rapist Busted By Undercover Agents In Capital Region, Police Say A 63-year-old man from the region is facing charges after allegedly attempting to meet a child for sex.  Rensselaer County resident Hadj Ounis, of Troy, was arrested on multiple sex charges Monday, Jan. 30, following an investigation by New York State Police. Members of the agency’s Computer Crimes Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force determined that Ounis made arrangements and traveled to meet who he believed was a 14-year-old for sex, according to police. Ounis was arrested after he reportedly showed up to the predetermined meeting spot in Colonie. He is facing …
Duo Traded Vapes For Sexually Explicit Photos Of Underage Girls In Capital Region, Police Say Duo Traded Vapes For Sexually Explicit Photos Of Underage Girls In Capital Region, Police Say
Duo Traded Vapes For Sexually Explicit Photos Of Underage Girls In Capital Region, Police Say Two people are facing charges after allegedly convincing underage girls in the region to send them sexually explicit images in exchange for nicotine products. Michael May, age 24, and Tomassina May, age 67, both of Saratoga Springs, were arrested Monday, Jan. 9, following a months-long investigation by the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies began looking into the pair, whose relationship was not immediately clear, after receiving numerous complaints that Michael May had used social media to contact underage girls in Wilton, Northumberland, Moreau, and Saratoga Springs. During thei…
Man Sentenced For Having Sex With Minor In Northern Westchester Man Sentenced For Having Sex With Minor In Northern Westchester
Man Sentenced For Having Sex With Minor In Northern Westchester A man was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting that he traveled to Westchester County to have sex with a 15-year-old. Christopher Nunez, age 27, of Florida, received the maximum sentence allowed Tuesday, July 12, after previously pleading guilty to third-degree rape, a felony. Nunez admitted to traveling from his home in Miami to North Salem in May 2021 to engage in sexual activity with the teen, according to the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. He had spent three months chatting with the teen online and eventually persuaded the victim to meet him, prosecutors sa…
Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Making Videos, Photographs Of Children Performing Sexual Acts Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Making Videos, Photographs Of Children Performing Sexual Acts
Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Making Videos, Photographs Of Children Performing Sexual Acts An 18-year-old Hudson Valley man has been arrested for allegedly producing videos of children performing sexual acts. The unnamed Ulster County resident, from Kingston, who was underage at the time of the crime, was arrested on Friday, May 13, following a two-month investigation by the Saugerties Police, authorities said. On Thursday, March 17, Saugerties Police received a complaint from a juvenile female that an 18-year-old male from Kingston was producing videos of children in the act of sexual performance, said Chief Joseph Sinagra of the Saugerties Police. Through the course …
Two Sentenced For Scheming To Kidnap, Sexually Exploit Children In Region Two Sentenced For Scheming To Kidnap, Sexually Exploit Children In Region
Two Sentenced For Scheming To Kidnap, Sexually Exploit Children In Region Two men have been sentenced for their roles in a salacious scheme to kidnap area children from their mother and smuggle them across the border into Mexico to be a part of a sexual relationship in the region, federal authorities announced. Nachman Helbrans, age 40, and Mayer Rosner, age 45, US citizens from Guatemala, were convicted in January 2021 following a four-week jury trial of child sexual exploitation offenses and kidnapping in Sullivan County. Specifically, Helbrans and Rosner were convicted in November 2021 of: Conspiring to transport a minor with intent to engage in crimina…
Former HS Teacher In Westchester Charged For Sharing Illicit Photos, Conversations WIth Minor Former HS Teacher In Westchester Charged For Sharing Illicit Photos, Conversations WIth Minor
Former HS Teacher In Westchester Charged For Sharing Illicit Photos, Conversations WIth Minor A former high school teacher in the Hudson Valley is facing charges for allegedly sharing illicit photos and conversations with a teenager over social media, the district attorney’s office announced. On Monday, Jan. 24, Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah announced that former Salesian High School teacher Mariela Barajas, age 22, of Mount Vernon, was arraigned for allegedly disseminating indecent material to a 15-year-old.  Specifically, Barajas was charged in Mount Vernon City Court with one count of disseminating indecent material to minors, a felony, following …
Baseball Coach Charged With Coercion, Enticement Of Minor In Westchester Baseball Coach Charged With Coercion, Enticement Of Minor In Westchester
Baseball Coach Charged With Coercion, Enticement Of Minor In Westchester A baseball coach in Westchester is facing charges for allegedly enticing and coercing a 16-year-old former player into sexual activity, federal officials announced. Robert Pope, age 30, the owner and head coach of Mount Vernon Baseball, an independent organization, was arrested following an investigation into allegations of him having improper contact with a minor. U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said that between Sept. 1, 2020, through April 11 this year, Pope allegedly communicated with his teen victim through his cellphone and persuaded him to meet him at a location in Westchester on multi…
Area Man Nabbed On 20 Counts Of Possessing Obscene Sexual Performance By Child, Police Say Area Man Nabbed On 20 Counts Of Possessing Obscene Sexual Performance By Child, Police Say
Area Man Nabbed On 20 Counts Of Possessing Obscene Sexual Performance By Child, Police Say An area man has been arrested by state police for allegedly possessing more than 20 obscene images of children. Ulster County resident, John H. Braunlein, age 74, from the town of Esopus, was arrested on Thursday, Aug. 5, for 20 counts of possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child, said Trooper Steven Nevel.  According to Nevel, the state police computer crime unit was notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an obscene image was uploaded to an account owned by Braunlein.  An investigation confirmed that Braunlein did download and possess o…
NY Man Accused Of Forcing Fairfield County Teen To Send Nude Photos NY Man Accused Of Forcing Fairfield County Teen To Send Nude Photos
NY Man Accused Of Forcing Fairfield County Teen To Send Nude Photos A New York man has been arrested on a warrant for allegedly forcing a Fairfield County teen into sending him nude photos of herself. Anthony Pangallo, age 37, of Rego Park, in Queens, was arrested on the warrant on Tuesday, May 25, by Westport Police for the incident which took place late last year. According to Westport Police Lieutenant David Wolf, in December, the department's detective bureau received a report of the possible exploitation of a local teenager.  The teen reported that she befriended an individual on social media, said police. This individual, id…
Northern Westchester Man Busted By 'Nanny Cam' Sentenced For Taking Explicit Photos Of Child Northern Westchester Man Busted By 'Nanny Cam' Sentenced For Taking Explicit Photos Of Child
Northern Westchester Man Busted By 'Nanny Cam' Sentenced For Taking Explicit Photos Of Child A Northern Westchester man will spend years behind bars after being caught on a nanny cam taking sexually explicit photos of a child and scarring a family, the DA announced. Pleasantville resident John Passaretti was sentenced this week to a term of between two and six years in prison after pleading guilty to a dozen charges tied to a 2019 sexual abuse incident in Port Chester. Specifically, Passaretti, 52, who has been detained at the Westchester County Jail since his arrest in November 2019, pleaded guilty last year to: Two counts of use of a child in a sexual performance; Two counts o…
Attempted Rape Conviction Of Area Man Caught In An Online Sting Upheld By Courts Attempted Rape Conviction Of Area Man Caught In An Online Sting Upheld By Courts
Attempted Rape Conviction Of Area Man Caught In An Online Sting Upheld By Courts The attempted rape conviction of a Hudson Valley man has been upheld by the courts during an appeal of his 2019 guilty verdict during a jury trial. The Ulster County Appellate Division affirmed the conviction last year of Orange County resident Travis Sammeth, age 36, of Newburgh, who was found guilty of attempted rape in a case connected with a sting operation of online predators, said the Ulster County District Attorney David J. Clegg. His conviction stems from an incident on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, when Sammeth made contact with an undercover police officer working with an FBI task…
Man Sentenced For Sexual Enticement Of Minor In Area Man Sentenced For Sexual Enticement Of Minor In Area
Man Sentenced For Sexual Enticement Of Minor In Area An out-of-state man was sentenced to 25 years in prison and lifetime supervision for enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity in the area. James Early, 40, of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on Wednesday, Nov. 18, said Audrey Strauss, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The sentencing followed Early's guilty plea on November 13, 2019.  “This case underlines the urgent need for law enforcement to continue its efforts to protect children from those who prey on them," said Strauss. "As today’s sentencing underscores, we will continue…
Welfare Check Leads To Arrest Of Man Who Allegedly Raped Multiple Children In Area Welfare Check Leads To Arrest Of Man Who Allegedly Raped Multiple Children In Area
Welfare Check Leads To Arrest Of Man Who Allegedly Raped Multiple Children In Area A 29-year-old area man was charged with felonies after a search of his home turned up evidence of sexual relationships with young children over the course of several years, according to police.  Ulster County resident Devin M. Harkins, of Kingston, was charged with first-degree criminal sexual act and first-degree course of sexual conduct after a search warrant was executed at his Amsterdam Avenue home in the early hours of Thursday, Nov. 5.  Kingston Police said officers initially responded to the home to check on the welfare of a child living at the location.  Per sta…
Area Man Wanted For Possessing Footage Of Sexual Performance By Child, State Police Say Area Man Wanted For Possessing Footage Of Sexual Performance By Child, State Police Say
Area Man Wanted For Possessing Footage Of Sexual Performance By Child, State Police Say State Police in the Hudson Valley are searching for a wanted man who solicited prostitution and requested illicit photographs from a high school student on social media.  Alex Allende, 24, was charged for possessing footage of an obscene sexual performance by a child in April of 2019 and never returned to court in Orange County for sentencing.  State Police in Middletown were tipped off to his alleged behavior after a student at a local high school approached a trooper, who had just given a presentation on social media safety, and told her that Allende had recruited her for prosti…
Man Used Child To Steal From Home Depot In Northern Westchester, Police Say Man Used Child To Steal From Home Depot In Northern Westchester, Police Say
Man Used Child To Steal From Home Depot In Northern Westchester, Police Say A Putnam County man utilized a pint-sized co-conspirator in an effort to steal from a Northern Westchester Home Depot, State Police said. New York State Police troopers were dispatched to Home Depot on East Main Street in Cortlandt at approximately 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, where there was a report of an attempted larceny involving a child. The investigation into the alleged theft determined that Carmel resident Charles Cerbone allegedly instructed a child to push a shopping cart that contained stolen tools out of the store. Police said that the child’s cart contained approximately $770 …
Fairfield County Dentist Charged With Child Exploitation Offenses After Instagram Investigation Fairfield County Dentist Charged With Child Exploitation Offenses After Instagram Investigation
Fairfield County Dentist Charged With Child Exploitation Offenses After Instagram Investigation A dentist in Fairfield County has been charged with child exploitation offenses after an FBI Instagram investigation. Scott David Cohen, 39, of Stratford, was arrested on Friday, Oct. 25 and charged by federal criminal complaint with multiple child sexual exploitation offenses, John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian C. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced. In a 23-page indictment, earlier this month, it is alleged that Cohen, using the username “drpinstripe13,” began c…
NY, CT Residents Among Hundreds Charged In Takedown Of Largest Darknet Child Porn Website NY, CT Residents Among Hundreds Charged In Takedown Of Largest Darknet Child Porn Website
NY, CT Residents Among Hundreds Charged In Takedown Of Largest Darknet Child Porn Website Men from Connecticut and New York are among those charged in the takedown of the largest Darknet child pornography website. Jong Woo Son, 23, a South Korean national, was indicted this week for his operation of Welcome To Video, the largest child exploitation market by volume of content, officials said. Son has also been charged and convicted in South Korea and is currently in custody serving his sentence in South Korea.   An additional 337 site users residing in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jers…
Area Man Faces Three Felony Counts Of Possessing Obscene Sexual Performance By A Child Area Man Faces Three Felony Counts Of Possessing Obscene Sexual Performance By A Child
Area Man Faces Three Felony Counts Of Possessing Obscene Sexual Performance By A Child A man from Carmel is facing three felony charges after an investigation revealed that he was in possession of an obscene sexual performance by a child, according to the Putnam Sheriff. Officers with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department say Jason J. Dance, 45, was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 1 and charged with three felony counts of possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child. Investigators from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation say they were notified by members of the Department of Homeland Security that they had been monitoring an IP address in Car…
Eight Nabbed In Hudson Valley Child Sex Sting Eight Nabbed In Hudson Valley Child Sex Sting
Eight Nabbed In Hudson Valley Child Sex Sting Eight people were nabbed during a child sex sting in which law enforcement and federal authorities posed as minor children online. Ulster County Sheriff Paul VanBlarcum said the arrests, earlier this month, are a result of a child predator identification and enforcement operation in the Town of Ulster. Members of the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, Town of Ulster Police Department, the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team, and New York State Police took part in the sting, he said. During the operation, the defendants solicited an arrangemen…