Posted on: August 22, 2019 12:00 PM

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Brooklyn man sentenced to 6 months in jail for possessing child sex abuse images

Acting Queens District Attorney John M. Ryan announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 6 months in jail for possessing numerous images of children under the age of 12 - some as young as 1 -depicted in a sexual manner or performing sexual acts. The images were found following the execution of a consent search of the defendant?s iPad.

Acting District Attorney Ryan said, ?Unfortunately, the internet has become a doorway for deviant sexual predators who gather to share vile and disturbing videos and photographs of young children being sexually abused. These victims feel like they are being victimized all over again every time images of their abuse are shared online. This defendant is now being punished for his participation in this despicable crime.?

The District Attorney?s office identified the defendant as Steven Gallardo, 39, of 14 Avenue in Brooklyn. Gallardo pleaded guilty in May to possessing a sexual performance by a child before Queens Criminal Court Judge Bruna DiBiase. Judge DiBiase yesterday sentenced Gallardo to 6 months in jail.

Acting District Attorney Ryan said that, according to the complaint, investigators assigned to the New York City Police Department?s Computer Crimes Squad originally investigated a cybertip report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a Queens man, who was later apprehended, had uploaded images of child pornography to his Google account in 2016. That defendant, Ali Morales, is currently serving a 2 year prison sentence.

During this wide-ranging investigation law enforcement seized in excess of 5,000 illicit images and videos of minors from the home of Morales, who admitted to knowingly possessing and sharing the data, and to using his cell phone to trade these images with defendant Gallardo.

One of the items recovered from Morales? cell phone was a conversation from a ?KIK? chat that he had with defendant Gallardo, which took place between September 23, 2016, and October 27, 2016. The men shared images of children as young as 1 engaging in various sexual acts.

In one specific chat occurring on October 27, 2016, the men discussed their actions. The apprehended male followed up this exchange by sending images containing child abuse images, and asked Gallardo to trade. Gallardo promptly sent Morales an image of a female child who appeared no older than 8 engaging in a sexual act with an adult male.

Acting District Attorney Ryan said, according to the charges, in June 2018, detectives traced the KIK records related to the 2016 exchange to an IP address, and subsequently to the defendant?s place of residence. When confronted by law enforcement officials, the defendant admitted to using KIK to swap the images of children being sexually abused with Morales and identified the above-referenced photo of the female child.

The Acting District Attorney further stated that law enforcement officials obtained the defendant?s permission to perform a forensic examination on electronic items that were later confiscated from the defendant?s home, including his iPhone and iPad, which resulted in the discovery of dozens of additional images of child pornography.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Ralfi Hernandez, under the supervision of Sergeant James Duke and Lieutenant Felix Rivera, of the NYPD?s Computer Crimes Squad, under the overall supervision of Deputy Inspector Joseph Kersting and Deputy Chief James Luongo of the Special Investigation Division.

Assistant District Attorney Mary M. Lowenburg, Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau prosecuted both cases under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Gerard A. Brave, Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Wilbert J. LeMelle. (From Queens DA's office)