A Jamaica man was already a registered sex offender when he began preying on children in numerous ways.
Davis Burgos-Collazo, 43, was convicted by a jury in Brooklyn federal court Wednesday of attempting to sexually exploit five children, two counts of distributing child pornography, accessing child pornography with intent to view it and committing a felony sexual offense while being a registered sex offender.
The verdict was returned after a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Pamela K. Chen, and when sentenced, Burgos-Collazo faces up to life in prison.
“The defendant, a registered sex offender who deviously portrayed himself as a modeling scout to lure victims, repeatedly victimized minors without regard for the profound harm he was causing them,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said. “With today’s verdict, he now faces the consequences necessary to protect the community from this serial predator.”
As proven at trial, in 2020, Burgos-Collazo used at least 26 Instagram accounts to attempt to sexually exploit children as young as 9 years old. The defendant enticed the victims by pretending to be a modeling scout and by using accounts with names such as “future models” and “preteen beauty pics.”
In addition, after Burgos-Collazo had coerced one victim into performing live sex acts for him on Instagram, while she pleaded with him to leave her alone, he threatened to post a naked picture of the 10-year-old child online for her friends to see. The FBI recovered more than 100 photos and videos of child pornography on the defendant’s phone.
“I urge parents and caregivers to remain vigilant about the importance of educating our children about the dangers of communicating online with strangers,” Peace said.
Burgos-Collazo committed the crimes while he was a registered sex offender after he was convicted in March 2006 of raping a 7-year-old and attempting to sexually assault two other minors, ages 9 and 11.
“Burgos’s conviction illustrates how vulnerable our children are to sexual predators,” FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael J. Driscoll said. “The heartbreaking pleas from one of his victims to be left alone should shock parents and guardians. Please talk with children about the dangers they can face online, and tell them they can ask for help if they face a similar situation.”
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the initiative marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute predators who exploit children via the internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood visit the DOJ webpage.
