Latest news with #PoliceExplorers
International Business Times
31-05-2025
- International Business Times
Washington Deputy Accused of Raping a Teen Volunteer Who Joined Police Explorers Program
A King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) deputy has been placed on administrative leave in the wake of accusations of rape and sexual misconduct, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. On May 30, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office (KCPAO) charged former KCSO deputy Ricardo Cueva with sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree and rape in the third degree. Victim was Enrolled as a Volunteer with the Police Explorers Program, Where Cueva was the Program Lead According to court documents, Cueva is accused of repeatedly using his position of authority as a KCSO deputy to "sexually abuse and rape a then teenage volunteer with the Police Explorers program." The alleged rape and sexual misconduct occurred between September of 2017 and September of 2018, according to court documents. "While acting as the Police Explorers group leader, the defendant began the process of gaining [the teenage girl's] trust to ultimately sexually exploit her before she turned 17 with special, individual treatment," Cueva's court documents read. "Once [the teenage girl] turned 17 years old, the age the defendant believed to be the age of consent, the defendant escalated his behavior." Cueva Took the Victim on Ride-Alongs, Would Then Ask Her to Perform Oral Sex Acts Court documents also claim that while Cueva was on duty and in uniform, he would take the teenage girl on ride-alongs in his marked patrol vehicle, where he would ask her to perform oral sex acts. At the time of these incidents, he was the King County Sheriff's Explorer Program Lead at the Burien Police Department, according to court documents. At the time of the alleged incidents, the teenage victim reported directly to Cueva, according to court documents. Cueva Previously Under Investigation for Kissing, Molesting a 10-Year-Old According to court documents, "Deputy Cueva was investigated in a 2014 case in which a close-family friend's 10-year-old daughter accused him of kissing her on the lips and touching her genitals under her clothes. The King County Sheriff's Office investigated this accusation and determined there was no evidence to support the accusation," the documents read. Documents also claim the state has concerns for the victim's safety because Cueva owns over 25 registered firearms and has experience using the weapons as a KCSO deputy. Cueva is currently being held in custody on $150,000 bail, according to the KCPAO. "The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office also asked the Court that, if he were to post bond on that bail amount, the defendant be ordered onto electronic home detention with GPS monitoring, and the victim be notified," wrote the KCPAO. "The Court ordered that and also made an order for the defendant to surrender all firearms after prosecutors' request."
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Yahoo
NYPD cop busted for sexting ‘14-year-old-girl' hit with new Queens charges
An NYPD officer accused of sending sexually explicit messages to someone he thought was an underage girl but was actually an undercover cop is facing new charges in Queens, District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Friday. Travis Desouza, 35, was assigned to Brooklyn's 75th Precinct in 2024, where he headed the NYPD Police Explorers youth program, when he allegedly sent sexually explicit pictures and messages to an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old girl. Last October, the 13-year Police Department veteran was arrested and charged in Brooklyn Criminal Court with attempted disseminating indecent materials to minors and attempted child endangerment. He was charged again yesterday, this time in Queens, which is where the undercover officer was when, while posing as a young girl, she received his messages in a police building. Desouza was charged in Queens with attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors, official misconduct, obscenity and attempted endangering the welfare of a child, Katz said. 'As alleged, this defendant took advantage of his position with the NYPD to prey on someone he thought was a 14-year-old, who happened to be a police officer undercover on assignment,' D.A. Katz said in a statement. 'The Explorers is an amazing program and our kids need to trust and have faith in its leaders. Although he was told that the 'girl' was just 14, the defendant allegedly sent explicit content to her.' Desouza's behavior working with the Police Explorers program — for young people between the ages of 14 and 20 who are interested in law enforcement — had sparked concerns. So in October 2024 authorities sent a young-looking undercover officer to approach him in person. She identified herself as a 14-year-old girl and expressed interest in the program, according to the initial complaint. Desouza and a different undercover officer, who pretended to be the same 14-year-old girl, then exchanged contact information and he began messaging her on Snapchat. In addition to sending sexually explicit messages, he allegedly sent the undercover cop a 'photo of a man wearing boxer shorts with his hand on his genitals,' according to police. Desouza has been suspended without pay, according to police.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
NYPD cop sexted with undercover officer posing as 14-year-old girl while overseeing youth outreach program: prosecutors
An NYPD officer tasked with community youth outreach is facing charges in two boroughs for allegedly sexting an undercover cop posing as a 14-year-old girl, according to prosecutors. Travis N. DeSouza, 35, appeared in a Queens County court on Thursday, six months after appearing in a Brooklyn court, on child endangerment-related charges for sending sexually explicit messages to an undercover officer he believed to be just 14 years old, authorities said. Last October, cops set out to ensnare DeSouza in a sting operation after suspecting him of unethical behavior in his capacity as a supervisor of the Police Explorers program, a NYPD youth outreach initiative for teens and young adults between 14 and 20 years old who want to pursue a career in law enforcement, according to a complaint. An adult undercover officer approached DeSouza while posing as a youth participant in the Police Explorers program, telling the alleged perv that she was 14 years old and asking him for his phone number, the complaint stated. 'Of course, stop trying to bag me already,' the creepy cop replied to her request, according to the document. He continued the lurid overtures and innuendos via texts and social media — while explicitly acknowledging that she was a minor, officials claim. 'And I don't know even why you got me thinking things I shouldn't because of how far we are of age LOL I should be telling you to stop… but your maturity and the way you act is different,' DeSouza allegedly messaged the undercover agent on Snapchat. Eventually, DeSouza tried to seal the deal with the faux 'teen girl' by sending her a picture of himself with an erection while wearing boxer shorts, the complaint alleged. 'What's under those shorts?' the undercover agent wrote over Snapchat, according to the complaint. 'Something big, maybe more than you can handle,' DeSouza allegedly wrote back. The accused perv was working within the confines of the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn while allegedly sending some of the shocking sexts and sent others from a NYPD building in Queens — which is why he's facing charges in both boroughs. Officer DeSouza has been suspended without pay from the NYPD, the department said Thursday. He was charged in Queens court with attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors in the first degree, official misconduct, obscenity in the third degree, and attempted endangering the welfare of a child, according to the criminal complaint. In Brooklyn, he was hit with charges of attempted disseminating indecent materials to minors in the first degree, attempted endangering the welfare of a child, and obscenity in the third degree, records show. On Thursday, the ex-cop was released without bail, according to court records.
International Business Times
25-04-2025
- International Business Times
NYPD Officer Charged with Sexting Undercover Officer Posing as 14-Year-Old
An NYPD officer tasked with community youth outreach is facing charges in two boroughs for allegedly sexting an undercover cop posing as a 14-year-old girl, according to prosecutors. As reported by the New York Post, Travis N. DeSouza, 35, appeared in a Queens County court on Thursday, April 24, six months after appearing in a Brooklyn court, on child endangerment-related charges after he sent sexually explicit messages to an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old girl. Authorities Sent an Undercover Officer Posing as 14-Year-Old to Approach DeSouza After Becoming Concerned About His Behavior DeSouza, who was working with the Police Explorers program for young people between 14 and 20 interested in law enforcement, was busted in October last year as part of a sting operation. Concerned about his behavior, authorities sent a young-looking undercover officer to approach him in person. She identified herself as a 14-year-old girl and expressed interest in the program, per the New York Daily News. DeSouza Sent the Officer Creepy Texts, Photo of His Aroused Genitals She gave him her contact info, and a few days later, he texted her descriptions of sexual acts, according to the complaint. "Of course, stop trying to bag me already," the creepy cop wrote in one of the messages to the undercover officer, according to the complaint. He continued the lurid overtures and innuendos via texts and social media — while explicitly acknowledging that she was a minor, officials claim. "And I don't know even why you got me thinking things I shouldn't because of how far we are of age LOL I should be telling you to stop... but your maturity and the way you act is different," DeSouza allegedly messaged the undercover agent on Snapchat. He also sent her a photo of what appeared to be an aroused penis covered in clothing, the complaint says. "What's under those shorts?" the undercover agent wrote over Snapchat, according to the complaint. "Something big, maybe more than you can handle," DeSouza allegedly wrote back. DeSouza Suspended Without Pay, Released on Bail DeSouza was working within the confines of the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn while allegedly sending some of the shocking sexts and sent others from a NYPD building in Queens — which is why he's facing charges in both boroughs. Officer DeSouza has been suspended without pay from the NYPD, the department said Thursday. He has currently been released on bail. He was charged in Queens court with attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors in the first degree, official misconduct, obscenity in the third degree, and attempted endangering the welfare of a child, according to the criminal complaint. In Brooklyn, he was hit with charges of attempted disseminating indecent materials to minors in the first degree, attempted endangering the welfare of a child, and obscenity in the third degree, records show.
New York Post
25-04-2025
- New York Post
NYPD cop sexted with undercover officer posing as 14-year-old girl while overseeing youth outreach program: prosecutors
An NYPD officer tasked with community youth outreach is facing charges in two boroughs for allegedly sexting an undercover cop posing as a 14-year-old girl, according to prosecutors. Travis N. DeSouza, 35, appeared in a Queens County court on Thursday, six months after appearing in a Brooklyn court, on child endangerment-related charges for sending sexually explicit messages to an undercover officer he believed to be just 14 years old, authorities said. Officer Travis DeSouza, 35, was suspended without pay by the NYPD for sending lurid messages and images to an undercover cop posing as a 14-year-old girl, a criminal complaint alleged. Last October, cops set out to ensnare DeSouza in a sting operation after suspecting him of unethical behavior in his capacity as a supervisor of the Police Explorers program, a NYPD youth outreach initiative for teens and young adults between 14 and 20 years old who want to pursue a career in law enforcement, according to a complaint. An adult undercover officer approached DeSouza while posing as a youth participant in the Police Explorers program, telling the alleged perv that she was 14 years old and asking him for his phone number, the complaint stated. 'Of course, stop trying to bag me already,' the creepy cop replied to her request, according to the document. He continued the lurid overtures and innuendos via texts and social media — while explicitly acknowledging that she was a minor, officials claim. 'And I don't know even why you got me thinking things I shouldn't because of how far we are of age LOL I should be telling you to stop… but your maturity and the way you act is different,' DeSouza allegedly messaged the undercover agent on Snapchat. Officer DeSouza hangs his head during his hearing in Queens Criminal Court, Thursday. Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post Eventually, DeSouza tried to seal the deal with the faux 'teen girl' by sending her a picture of himself with an erection while wearing boxer shorts, the complaint alleged. 'What's under those shorts?' the undercover agent wrote over Snapchat, according to the complaint. 'Something big, maybe more than you can handle,' DeSouza allegedly wrote back. The accused perv was working within the confines of the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn while allegedly sending some of the shocking sexts and sent others from a NYPD building in Queens — which is why he's facing charges in both boroughs. Officer DeSouza has been suspended without pay from the NYPD, the department said Thursday. He was charged in Queens court with attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors in the first degree, official misconduct, obscenity in the third degree, and attempted endangering the welfare of a child, according to the criminal complaint. In Brooklyn, he was hit with charges of attempted disseminating indecent materials to minors in the first degree, attempted endangering the welfare of a child, and obscenity in the third degree, records show. On Thursday, the ex-cop was released without bail, according to court records.
