A former police sergeant for the NYPD used online dating sites to convince mothers to molest their children and send him photos of the abuse, Robert L. Capers, a United States Attorney said.
Alberto Randazzo, 39, of Astoria pleaded guilty on Tuesday to two counts of conspiracy to sexually exploit a child and one count of receipt of child pornography.
He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison on each of the counts.
According to Robert L. Capers, a United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York, from 2010 through 2013 Randazzo used online dating websites like AshleyMadison.com and Match.com to persuade mothers to sexually abuse their children so he could see it.
In February 2013, a witness found disturbing text messages on Randazzo’s phone and emails with pictures of mothers molesting their children. He admitted to the witness that he had a sexual interest in mothers having sex with their children.
An investigation by the Internal Affairs Bureau of the NYPD found several images and videos of child pornography, including child pornography videos made by Randazzo. He was arrested and charged in criminal court.
During that time, Randazzo was a 15-year veteran of the NYPD. While on bail, special agents found that he had been downloading child pornography, which led to a federal investigation and federal charges.
The federal case is now being prosecuted by Assistant Unites States Attorneys Tyler Smith and Moira Kim Penza.
