L.I. teacher accused of posing as teen to solicit nude photos of underage girls
A former Long Island high school teacher who allegedly posed as a teen to solicit explicit images from underage girls has been indicted for promoting a sexual performance by a child and related charges, officials said Thursday.
Ryan McCaffery, a former social studies teacher at Riverhead High School, was arrested May 12 by New York State Police following a months-long investigation. The 37-year-old Ridge resident is accused of using a fake Snapchat name to communicate with 'female children,' according to the Suffolk County district attorney.
A multi-agency investigation began in Suffolk County last fall when detectives received a tip about an individual who'd allegedly shared child sexual abuse material on the messaging app Kik.
Earlier this year, police executed a search warrant at McCaffery's home and recovered several electronic devices.
A forensic analysis of those devices revealed the defendant had allegedly been communicating with 'multiple underage girls' while posing as a teenager on Snapchat. According to prosecutors, he sent images of his exposed genitals to the victims and requested nude photos in return.
Authorities said McCaffery had also been investigated in Bergen County, N.J., after parents reported their daughters had experienced similar things on Snapchat. An investigation determined McCaffery had 'requested nude photos and engaged in sexual acts while video chatting' with victims under the age of 13.
He was taken into custody in New Jersey on Feb. 14 and charged with sexual assault, child endangerment and lewdness. The case, which is not related to McCaffery's case in Suffolk County, is still pending.
McCaffery was arraigned on Wednesday for the charges in New York, including multiple counts of attempted use of a child in a sexual performance and disseminating indecent material to minors.
His bail was set at $100,000 cash, $400,000 bond, or a $1 million partially secured bond. He's due back in court July 17.
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