CT Man Accused Of Trying To Trade Video Of Him Sexually Abusing Child In NY For More Child Porn: DOJ

MIDDLETOWN, NY — A Hudson Valley child was repeatedly sexually abused by a Connecticut man, according to federal prosecutors.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced the filing of a complaint charging 20-year-old Bryan Cruz Solano, of Connecticut, with sexual exploitation of a minor. He was arrested on Saturday, presented before a judge in Manhattan federal court, and ordered detained on Tuesday pending trial.

"As alleged, Bryan Cruz Solano sexually abused a 12-year-old child and, even more disgusting, recorded that abuse in order to trade it for other child pornography," Clayton said. "We have heard it clear and strong from all New Yorkers, particularly New York families: Use all available resources to get sexual predators off our streets. And New Yorkers should know, predators often act with others, and we are committed to destroying these child sexual abuse networks. Help us if you can. Be vigilant. There may be additional victims in this case. If you have information to report about this or any other matter of child sexual abuse, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov."

WARNING: Readers may find some of the details from court documents disturbing.

According to the redacted complaint, which can be read here, on May 1, New York State Police and the FBI received a report from a witness that Cruz Solano had sent child pornography to him, including videos showing Cruz Solano engaging in sexual acts with a child.

Prosecutors say that a video on the witness's cellphone showed a prepubescent female's hands stroking the erect penis of an adult male. The video then switches to a Snapchat conversation, which includes the account name "lil_cruzyyyy," which Cruz Solano later admitted was his. Additional videos showed the child performing oral sex on Cruz Solano, according to the DOJ.

Due to the possibility of potentially ongoing harm to the victim in the video, law enforcement assumed control of the witness's Telegram account to begin communicating directly with Cruz Solano.

From May 4 to May 8, law enforcement reported having several discussions with Cruz Solano over Telegram, during which Cruz Solano said that he had "new stuff" of himself and the victim that he wanted to "trade," saying that he would not send content without first receiving child pornography from the witness, and that the witness should "make sure to sen[d] babies."

On May 8, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Cruz Solano's home in Connecticut, where officers found a cellphone containing videos of child pornography involving the victim, including acts performed by the victim at Cruz Solano's direction, according to prosecutors. One of the videos included a close-up image of the vagina of a prepubescent female, according to the DOJ.

In one of the messages found on Cruz Solano's phone, the victim agrees to show her vagina, her bare buttocks, and her anus, as directed by Cruz Solano, after he promised to buy her a certain hair dryer from TikTok, according to prosecutors.

During an interview, Cruz Solano admitted that he had engaged in sexual acts with the victim around 25 times in the past year, including as recently as a few weeks ago, feds said.

Cruz Solano said that he had recorded these acts on at least five occasions, while in Middletown, and sent them to the witness, according to federal investigators.

In addition, on around 20 occasions, Cruz Solano made FaceTime video calls to the witness while engaging in sex acts with the victim, investigators said.

Cruz Solano told law enforcement that he was able to convince the victim to cooperate by enticing the her with gifts, according to the feds.

Clayton praised the efforts of the FBI New York Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the FBI New Haven Child Exploitation Task Force, the New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit - Troop F, the Orange County Child Abuse Unit, the Orange County Child Advocacy Center, and the Hartford Police Department.

The charge of sexual exploitation of a child carries 15 years to 30 years in prison.

The prosecution is being handled by the Office's White Plains Division, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony P. Ferrara in charge of the prosecution.