Blaise Caroleo, Sexual Exploitation of a Child, New York 2016

Staten Island Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child

Blaise Caroleo, 55, of Staten Island, New York, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child in federal court in Brooklyn.

According to the guilty plea, Caroleo enticed a 14-year-old girl to produce sexually explicit images of herself between January 24, 2016 and October 12, 2016, using the internet application Kik. The account name for the application on Caroleo's cell phone was 'Nimfeater.'

A review of Nimfeater's Kik account revealed a series of messages in which Caroleo requested sexually explicit photos of Kik users who have been identified as minors.

Caroleo faces a statutory minimum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment and a maximum of 30 years' imprisonment when sentenced.

United States Attorney Richard P. Donoghue announced the guilty plea, stating, 'The defendant is a dangerous predator who, armed with a phone app, targeted young girls for sexual exploitation.'

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and the FBI's Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force assisted in the case.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The defendant's guilty plea was entered before United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/staten-island-man-pleads-guilty-sexual-exploitation-child