Long Island Predator Valerio Gets 60 Years for Child Porn

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY – Joseph Valerio, 50, of Smithtown, New York, will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being sentenced today to 60 years in prison for a sickening scheme involving the production, transportation, receipt, and possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Bianco handed down the sentence, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, and ordered Valerio to register as a sex offender. The case lays bare the depravity lurking in the shadows of suburban Long Island.

The sentencing follows a grim investigation led by the FBI’s New York Field Office, alongside the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD). According to evidence presented at trial, Valerio didn’t just consume this filth – he commissioned it. He paid a woman in Ukraine, Olena Kalichenko, to create custom-made pornographic videos featuring a two-year-old girl. Between April and November 2012, Kalichenko produced over 30 videos, emailing them directly to Valerio. Kalichenko pled guilty in 2016 to related charges and faces a minimum 15-year prison term.

Federal agents, working with the SCPD, raided Valerio’s Smithtown residence in January 2014, uncovering a disturbing home studio dedicated to exploitation. Investigators found hidden cameras, multiple computers, and a makeshift stage – the tools of a predator meticulously crafting abuse. A forensic examination of seized devices revealed Valerio’s depravity extended back to at least September 2010, when he produced child pornography involving a then six-year-old Long Island girl. Valerio has been held in custody since February 2014.

“This lengthy prison sentence ensures that the defendant will never harm another child as long as he lives and serves as a warning to anyone who victimizes children,” declared Acting United States Attorney Bridget M. Rohde. The sentiment, while necessary, barely scratches the surface of the horror inflicted upon these young victims. FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr., echoed the gravity of the situation, stating, “These children can’t fight off their attackers… No child should ever have to endure this sort of pain.”

SCPD Commissioner Timothy D. Sini minced no words: “The crimes committed by Joseph Valerio are despicable and this sentence of 60 years ensures the defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison for these heinous crimes.” The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ameet B. Kabrawala and Allen L. Bode of the Long Island Criminal Division. This case is a chilling example of the international scope of child exploitation and the tireless work required to bring predators like Valerio to justice.

This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation. The initiative aims to marshal resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute offenders, and to rescue victims. Individuals with information about child exploitation are urged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children or their local law enforcement agency. Case Docket No. 14 CR 94 (JFB).