Predator Who Sought To 'Ensnare And Cultivate' Child Sex Slaves Via TikTok, Snapchat Gets Prison

MIDDLETOWN, NY — An Orange County man who used social media to target and sexually exploit young girls has been sentenced to decades behind bars.

The U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David X. Sullivan, announced that 27-year-old James Pagliaro, of Middletown, was sentenced on Friday to 50 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release for sexually exploiting girls he met through TikTok and Snapchat.

Subscribe

Pagliaro was arrested on March 19, 2025, and pleaded guilty on February 13 of this year, to receipt of child pornography, enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, and traveling to engage in sexual activity with a minor. He has been detained since his arrest.

According to court documents, between April 2024 and March 2025, Pagliaro sent sexually explicit messages, many of which included sexually explicit photos of himself, to thousands of minor girls on social media, including Snapchat and TikTok, to try to "ensnare and cultivate child 'sex slaves.'"

SEE ALSO: NY Man Accused Of Traveling To CT For Sex With Minor: Feds

Prosecutors say that Pagliaro was able to coerce at least four girls, including a 15-year-old in Connecticut, a 15-year-old in the United Kingdom, a 15-year-old in New Jersey, and a 16-year-old in Florida, into producing hundreds of sexually explicit photos and videos for his sexual gratification.

In addition, Pagliaro also traveled to Connecticut at least three times for sexual conduct with the 15-year-old Connecticut victim, whom he forced to engage in sex acts and threatened with violence, according to the DOJ.

A forensic analysis of Pagliaro's phone found that he exchanged tens of thousands of texts with his victims, including many highlighting their age, and spoke with them on the phone and in video calls hundreds of times.

Prosecutors say that while he initially professed his love to his victims, promising them that he would marry them once they were adults, he later threatened them, sending photos of guns, ammunition and knives. He told the Connecticut victim that he could murder someone's entire family without having any trouble sleeping at night and that she should "keep that in mind," according to the DOJ.

In addition, prosecutors say that Pagliaro forced his victims to create "humiliating, degrading, and dangerous videos as punishments for their perceived failures," which included sending explicit videos on the wrong social media platform. The DOJ says that Pagliaro encouraged at least one victim to commit suicide, had the Connecticut victim sign a three-page slavery contract to memorialize her "eternal slavery" to him, and urged her to recruit other girls to engage in sexual conduct with him.

Pagliaro's phone also contained thousands of other sexually explicit videos and images of children, including videos depicting the sexual exploitation of infants and toddlers, according to the DOJ.

"This defendant exploited social media apps to cast a wide net to ensnare young girls into committing sexually degrading acts for his own gratification," said U.S. Attorney Sullivan. "When successful, he used grooming techniques and psychological manipulation to coerce, abuse, and terrorize his victims. This prosecution and the Court's imposition of a long prison term should serve as a stark warning for anyone who may use technology to prey upon children. I thank HSI and our local law enforcement partners who investigated this matter, brought justice to his victims, and protected countless others from additional harm."

The investigation was conducted by HSI New England, HSI Hudson Valley, the Orange County Sheriff's Office, and the Danbury, Ridgefield, and Watertown Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon.

The prosecution is part of the DOJ's Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.

"Pagliaro is a depraved child predator who has earned every day of his 50-year sentence," said Homeland Security Investigations New England Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Grimming. "He contacted hundreds of children online and successfully ensnared several girls, making them first believe they were in a real, loving relationship before slowly exerting more control, more abuse, and more violence. The victims in this case exhibited extraordinary bravery coming forward despite Pagliaro's threats against them and their families and we hope that this sentence brings some comfort and peace as they move toward healing. HSI remains relentless in its pursuit of justice for survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation."

You can report cases of child exploitation, here.