Richard Leaf, Child Pornography Receipt & Possession, New York 2023

Somers Man Charged with Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

A somber tale of child exploitation has unfolded in Somers, New York, where 72-year-old Richard Leaf stands accused of receiving and possessing videos and images containing child pornography. According to U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss, Leaf was arrested this morning and charged with one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

Prosecutors allege that between March 2019 and April 2020, Leaf posed as a teenager named "Alex Bronson" to communicate via Skype with a minor, who he believed was 15 years old. During 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 discovered almost a dozen images and videos containing child pornography on Leaf’s home computer. The complaint further alleges that Leaf created fictitious accounts on Chat Avenue and Skype to communicate with minors. The usernames of some of Leaf’s fictitious accounts include "alex bronson," "sportsboi.15," and "runnerboi.14."

U.S. Attorney Strauss emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, "Child pornography inflicts immeasurable damage upon innocent victims, and this Office and our FBI partners will continue to exhaustively detect, identify, and charge any individuals engaged in this sinister conduct." FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. added, "Although these contacts may occur in a virtual world, they harm your children in the real world."

Leaf is charged with one count of receiving child pornography, carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He is also charged with one count of possessing child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. If convicted, Leaf faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Ms. Strauss praised the efforts of the FBI and its Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, stating that the investigation is ongoing. The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division, with Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Ong leading the prosecution.

The charge contained in the complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If you believe you have information helpful to this investigation, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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