NY Child Rape Images: 25 Arrested for Rape Porn
Dozens have been arrested in New York for possessing and sharing child rape images. The arrest follows a lengthy investigation by the district attorney's office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. The offending images were not merely of child pornography, but are more aptly described as child sexual abuse photos.
The arrested defendants come from all walks of life and range from age 18 to 63. They include a lawyer, a dishwasher, a deli worker, a shoe store worker, and a substitute teacher who worked in public schools in Manhattan, reports The New York Times.
The defendants used peer-to-peer technology, most commonly used in downloading music and movies, to share the images, according to CNN.
The images were graphic depictions of violent sexual assaults on children. "The defendants in these cases traded images of child sexual assault the way that others trade baseball cards," said New York District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. to CNN. Vance also said that the images were of children being "brutally raped" and "sexually assaulted and exploited by adults on camera."
The victims' ages range from 1 to teens, reports CNN. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will be given the photographs so that some of the victims may be identified.
The defendants have either been indicted in New York State Supreme Court or arraigned in Criminal Court, The New York Times reports.
Child pornography is largely forbidden under both state and federal laws. It's illegal to both possess and distribute child pornography.
Some defendants went a step beyond just possessing and distributing the images - defendant Joshua Ruiz, a substitute teacher, allegedly sought advice online on how to have sex with children and how to approach them, reports The New York Times.
The child rape images arrests may only be the beginning - investigations are still ongoing, and the child sexual abuse photos may lead to future busts, according to The New York Times.
Related Resources:
- Dozens arrested in probe of child rape images (Reuters)
- Child Pornography (FindLaw)
- Court Weighs Teen Sexting and Child Pornography Charges (FindLaw's Blotter)
- Anthony Stancl Update: Facebook Sex Scam Plea Deal (FindLaw's Blotter)
