A New York police officer was arrested on Thursday after impersonating a 17-year-old on social media to request sexually explicit photos and videos of at least 46 minors, according to federal prosecutors.
Officer Carmine Simpson, 26, from Holbrook, New York, targeted “vulnerable children” on Twitter between the ages of 13 and 17, often soliciting pornographic content, US Attorney Seth DuCharme said on Thursday in a statement.
According to court documents, Simpson sent pictures of him that were filtered to make him look younger. He also sent obscene requests to the girls, instructing them to write explicit sentences or put their name on a marker on their bodies, prosecutors said. In one case, Simpson allegedly asked a 15-year-old girl to choke herself with a belt. Authorities said he obtained at least 18 images and 33 videos containing sexually exploitative material from the teenagers over a nine-month period.
“Instead of protecting the community as a sworn police officer, the defendant sexually harassed and exploited the most vulnerable members,” said DuCharme.
Todd Greenberg, Simpson’s lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
On Thursday, Simpson was charged with producing child pornography in a federal court on Long Island. He did not file the argument, but Greenberg said his client understood the “seriousness of the charges” and would plead not guilty at a later date, NBC New York reported.
A federal judge ordered Simpson to be detained without bail until trial, according to the news station.
“One of the main concerns I have is that this is not a single incident here,” said A. Kathleen Tomlinson. “This series of events lasted for months and months. There is a pattern that has been clearly established here. “
If convicted, Simpson faces at least 15 years in prison.
A police spokeswoman told NBC News in an email on Friday that Simpson was immediately suspended without pay.
“The charges in this case are reprehensible,” said Annette Shelton in a statement. “The NYPD has zero tolerance for any police officer who would endanger children or betray their oath in this way.”
