Thomas Blaha, Child Exploitation, New York 2019

A Long Island man has been indicted on charges of traveling to the Philippines with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, sexual exploitation of a child, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

According to the indictment, Thomas Blaha, 64, of Garden City, traveled to the Philippines in September and October 2019 to engage in sexual activity with a 13-year-old female and persuade her to take sexually explicit images of herself and send them to him in exchange for money.

The indictment was filed in federal court in Central Islip on February 2020.

Blaha was arrested on a complaint in February 2020 and released on a $1 million bond.

If convicted, Blaha faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment.

The charges in the indictment are allegations only, and Blaha is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being handled by the Office's General Crimes Section, with Assistant United States Attorney Anna L. Karamigios in charge of the prosecution.

The government's case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/long-island-man-indicted-sexual-exploitation-and-child-pornography-charges