SYRACUSE, NEW YORK — Derek Indivero, 25, of Syracuse, is behind bars on federal charges of using digital communications to lure a 12-year-old child into sexual activity. According to a criminal complaint, Indivero allegedly used a mobile communications device to initiate contact and arrange multiple encounters with the minor, exploiting technology to groom and manipulate the victim across state lines.
Indivero was taken into custody yesterday by the FBI and New York State Police at a location in Onondaga County where he arrived expecting to meet the child for a second time. The arrest followed a coordinated sting operation based on digital evidence collected by law enforcement as part of an ongoing investigation into online child exploitation. The suspect believed he was communicating with a minor — but the interaction was monitored by authorities from the outset.
The charges against Indivero include two counts of using a facility of interstate commerce to entice a minor into sexual activity. Each count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Fines could reach $250,000, and if convicted, Indivero would face a lifetime of supervised release and mandatory registration as a sex offender.
Indivero appeared in federal court in Syracuse today and was ordered held without bail pending a hearing scheduled for March 6, 2018. The case was presented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Brown, who emphasized the severity of the allegations and the federal government’s zero-tolerance stance on crimes targeting children. “These charges reflect the predatory use of technology to exploit the most vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, a multi-agency unit comprising FBI agents and New York State Police investigators from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Critical support was provided by the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department Abused Person’s Unit, and the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center. Authorities urge anyone with information about similar cases to contact the FBI Syracuse Resident Agency at (315) 424-2400.
The case falls under Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 to combat online child exploitation. Spearheaded by U.S. Attorneys and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), the program integrates federal, state, and local efforts to dismantle networks of predators and rescue victims. For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. The charges against Derek Indivero are accusations; he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related Federal Cases
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- Maryville Sex Offender Edward Grimes Gets 19 Years for Child Porn · New York
- Julio Perez-Torres Pleads Guilty to Attempted Child Enticement · New York
- Syracuse Woman Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting Child · New York
- Cody Mann Pleads Guilty to Child Enticement in Bloomingburg · New Jersey
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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