By Jeremy Walsh
A Bronx man has admitted to possessing child pornography after being arrested last year on charges he was impersonating an enforcement agent outside a karaoke club in Corona, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
Eddy Cepedahiciano, 24, pleaded guilty in Queens Supreme Court March 10 to possessing a sexual performance by a child. He is expected to be sentenced to between 1 1/2 and three years in prison March 25, the DA said. He will also have to register as a Level III sex offender when he is released.
“Child pornography strikes at the heart of innocence — sexually victimizing and violating the human rights of the youngest members of our society around the world,” Brown said. “It is often linked to human trafficking and child prostitution.”
Cepedahiciano was urinating outside Estrella Latina, a restaurant and karaoke bar at 39-07 104th St. May 30 when the restaurant’s bouncer spotted him and told him to stop, the DA said.
Cepedahiciano began flailing his arms and produced a miniature NYPD shield and a pair of handcuffs, telling the bouncer he was an FBI agent and would have the club shut down, Brown said.
Cepedahiciano was arrested and charged with criminal impersonation of a public servant. When he was booked, police learned he was on probation for a sex offense in Queens and was registered as a Level II sex offender, Brown said. Authorities then examined the iPod Touch Cepedahiciano had among his belongings and discovered more than 25 pornographic images of children between 2 and 15.
“This conviction is the result of the collaborative efforts and cooperation of many in law enforcement and would have not been possible without it,” Brown said in a statement. “I want to thank those police officers, prosecutors and, especially the probation officers who played a role in getting and keeping this defendant off the streets.
Cepedahiciano pleaded guilty to obstructing governmental administration in October in connection with the fake police badge, the DA’s office said. He served five days in jail for that offense.
Reach reporter Jeremy Walsh by e-mail at jewalsh@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
