Richard Leaf, Child Pornography, New York 2020

A disturbing case of child pornography has surfaced in Somers, New York, with Richard Leaf, a 72-year-old resident, being charged with receiving and possessing videos and images containing child pornography.

According to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Audrey Strauss, Leaf was arrested this morning and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause in White Plains federal court.

The charges against Leaf carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for receiving child pornography, and a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for possessing child pornography.

Between March 2019 and April 2020, Leaf is alleged to have posed as a teenager named ‘Alex Bronson’ to communicate via Skype with a minor, who Leaf believed was 15 years old. During the course of these communications, the minor sent Leaf a video of himself masturbating in the shower and a fully nude photo of himself in a bedroom.

Law enforcement officers also uncovered almost a dozen images and videos containing child pornography on Leaf’s home computer.

Leaf is also accused of creating fictitious accounts on Chat Avenue, an online chatroom website, and Skype to communicate with minors. The usernames of some of Leaf’s fictitious accounts include ‘alex bronson,’ ‘sportsboi.15,’ ‘alex15,’ ’15brandon,’ ‘zach.914,’ ‘runnerboi.14,’ ‘austinf19,’ ‘sportsgirl.914,’ ‘brandon.williams.23,’ ‘dan.dan77771,’ ‘beachsand.7,’ and ‘Austin A.’

If you have information to report or if you interacted or sent under-aged photos or videos of a sexual nature to any of the above accounts, please contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Leaf’s case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division, with Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Ong in charge of the prosecution.

The charge contained in the complaint is merely an accusation, and Leaf is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The investigation is ongoing, and the FBI and its Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force are working together to detect, identify, and charge any individuals engaged in this sinister conduct.

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