Federal authorities have arrested New York City police officer for posing as a 17-year-old on social media to solicit sexually explicit photos and videos from at least 46 minors, prosecutors said Thursday in a statement.
Acting U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme said that NYPD officer Carmine Simpson, 26, of Holbrook, New York, targeted “vulnerable children” on Twitter between the ages of 13 and 17, often requesting pornographic content.”
Court documents revealed Simpson sent photos of himself that were filtered so he would appear younger. He also sent lewd requests to girls, instructing them to write explicit phrases or his name in marker on their bodies, prosecutors said. In one case, Simpson allegedly asked a 15-year-old girl to choke herself with a belt.
At least 18 images and 33 videos containing sexually exploitative material of the teens over a period of nine months, authorities said.
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“Instead of protecting the community as a sworn police officer, the defendant has preyed upon and sexually exploited the most vulnerable members,” DuCharme said.
A federal magistrate judge ordered Simpson held without bail pending trial, according to court documents.
