Caught: Man Sent Sexual Messages To Undercover Rockland Officer Posing As 14-Year-Old, DA Says
A Queens man who believed he was communicating with a 14-year-old girl is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly sending sexually explicit messages to an undercover officer in Rockland County, prosecutors announced.
Dominic Vitale, 44, also known as “Tatt2Dom,” was arraigned on Friday, May 30, in Rockland County Court on charges stemming from a child exploitation investigation conducted by the District Attorney’s Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, according to Rockland District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II.
Vitale, a resident of Queens, is charged in an 11-count indictment, …
'Wolf In Sheep's Clothing': Eastchester Coach Used Snapchat To Get Nudes From Minors, Feds Say
A football coach and athletic director at a Westchester County high school faces federal child pornography charges after allegedly using Snapchat and other apps to coerce young victims into sending sexually explicit photos of themselves, prosecutors said.
Eastchester resident Thomas Puccini, age 28, was arrested on Wednesday, May 21, and appeared the same day in White Plains federal court, where he was ordered detained, according to US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton.
Puccini was employed as the Interim Director of Physical Education, Health, and …
Man Tried To Meet With Boy In Suffern For Sex, Was Arrested Instead In Hotel Parking Lot: DA
A New Jersey man arrested in an undercover child exploitation operation in the parking lot of a Rockland County hotel has now been formally indicted on charges including attempted rape, prosecutors announced.
Essex County resident Carl Ellis, 55, of Maplewood, NJ, was arraigned Wednesday, May 21, in Rockland County Court on an indictment charging him with several felonies, the Rockland County District Attorney's Office announced on Thursday, May 22.
According to Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II, Ellis engaged in sexually explicit text conversations between Ap…
Ex-DC Cop, Registered Sex Offender Ran Yearlong Child Sex Trafficking Ring: DOJ
A former DC police officer and registered sex offender is facing new federal charges after allegedly running a yearlong child sex trafficking operation, authorities announced.
Linwood Barnhill, 59, was arrested on Thursday, May 1, in DC, and is now facing multiple federal counts for sex trafficking children by force, coercion, and related charges, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
Federal officials say Barnhill, a former Metropolitan Police Department officer, allegedly recruited a series of minor children to engage in commercial sex acts between April 1, 2024, and April 29, 2025 — and…
Criminal Network Targets Kids At Home, FBI Says: What To Know About 764
Federal authorities are intensifying efforts against a disturbing online network known as "764," which they describe as a violent extremist group that targets and exploits children through social media and gaming platforms.
Two men have been charged for allegedly leading the enterprise: Leonidas Varagiannis, age 21, a US citizen living in Thessaloniki, Greece, and Prasan Nepal, age 20, of North Carolina.
Varagiannis was arrested on Monday, May 6, in Greece. Nepal was arrested Monday, April 22, in North Carolina and has since made a court appearance. Both are expected to appear in cour…
