Irondequoit Man Indicted, Charged With Sexually Exploiting 15 Year Old

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051
 
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a three count indictment charging Jose Alvarado, 27, of Irondequoit, NY, with coercing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.  The charges carry a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a$250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, Alvarado, then 26 years old, used his iPhone and other digital devices to coerce and entice a 15 year old female that he knew into having sex with him on multiple occasions. The defendant convinced his victim to take graphic photos of herself and send them to him using a texting application. Alvarado then sought to the control the girl through “sextortion” – that is, by threatening to expose the sexually-explicit pictures of her – and other means.

The defendant was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman and is being held pending a bail hearing on January 21, 2016, at 9:30 a.m..

The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Adam S. Cohen, the Irondequoit Police Department, under the direction of Chief Richard V. Tantalo, and the New York State Police, Troop E, under the direction of Major Craig Hanesworth. The task force includes the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.