A school crossing guard from Jamaica was criminally charged with attempted rape, attempted use of a child in a sexual performance and other sex-related crimes after he allegedly tried to lure an undercover NYPD officer he believed to be 14 years old to participate in a sex act.
Jared Jeridore, 24, of Sutphin Boulevard, was arraigned Wednesday in Queens Criminal Court on a seven-count criminal complaint that also included counts of attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors, attempted endangering the welfare of a child and official misconduct.
According to the charges, an undercover operation was initiated based on complaints about Jeridore from children to the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau.
On Mar. 28, at approximately 7:36 a.m., an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old girl met Jeridore near the Jamaica school where he worked at the intersection of 108th Avenue and 167th Street.
On Apr. 18, the undercover officer and Jeridore allegedly exchanged Instagram screen names. He told the undercover officer that his screen name was “DJFRESHPRINCE.OF.QUEENS.” That day, at about 2:10 p.m., they allegedly walked together from the intersection of 108th Avenue and 167th Street to a nearby bus stop and he interlocked arms with hers. At 11:22 p.m. that night, Jeridore had a video call with the undercover officer, whom he believed to be 14, and asked her to join him in a sexual act.
From Apr. 18-21, Jeridore sent text messages through Instagram to another undercover officer, posing as the first one, describing sexual interactions he wanted to have with her. He also sent the officer nude photos and a sexually explicit video.
On Apr. 23, at approximately 7:30 a.m., the first undercover officer received multiple phone calls from Jeridore asking her to meet him at a hotel at 87-07 Van Wyck Expwy. to have sex.
Police were at the hotel, waiting for Jeridore. He arrived at the hotel room with three condoms in his possession and was arrested at the scene and booked at the 107th Precinct in Fresh Meadows.
“Young people need to be able to trust the adults who are charged with keeping them safe,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “This defendant is accused of violating that trust with someone he thought was a teenager.”
A Queens Criminal Court Judge ordered Jeridore to return to court on June 7. If convicted, Jeridore faces up to seven years in prison.
“His arrest should serve as a warning to any sexual predator who thinks they will not be caught and held responsible,” Katz said. “Thank you to our partners at the NYPD for their work on this.”
