Rockland Jail Inmates Accused Of Producing Child Porn

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Two inmates of the Rockland County Jail are accused of soliciting and producing child pornography while awaiting trials on murder and weapons charges, Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced Tuesday.

The murder and weapons charges stemmed from incidents in 2021 and 2022.

Anthony Mitchell and Darin Peterson each face a charge of production of child pornography. According to prosecutors, while incarcerated they enticed a teenaged victim to send them digital content of herself engaged in sexually explicit activity before and after she turned 15.

"The Rockland County Sheriff’s Office and the Rockland County Intelligence Center were proud to assist the FBI Safe Streets Task Force in this investigation," said County Sheriff Louis Falco. "Sexual predators who exploit children, who are among the most vulnerable members of society, will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

They were transferred to federal custody Tuesday and presented on the charges in White Plains Federal Court.

"The harm that child sex abuse can inflict on the most innocent of victims is something no child should bear," Williams said. "That these defendants committed these crimes while awaiting trial for murder and other serious charges makes their conduct especially contemptible, and this Office and our FBI partners will continue to exhaustively detect, identify, and charge any individuals engaged in this sinister conduct."

Prosecutors alleged:

From on or about Aug. 12, 2022, up to and including on or about Sept. 25, in Mitchell's case, and from on or about Dec. 7, up to and including on or about January 29, 2023, in Peterson's case, they contacted the victim and demanded that she take and send to them sexually explicit digital media depicting herself.

Peterson was awaiting trial for murder, assault, and criminal possession of a weapon, and while Mitchell awaited trial for murder, attempted murder, and criminal possession of a weapon.

Mitchell is accused in the shooting death of a teen in Spring Valley. Peterson is accused of stabbing a man at a nightclub.

Mitchell, 23, of Haverstraw, New York, and Peterson, 29, of West Haverstraw, New York, are charged with one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential sentence of 30 years in prison.

Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI and the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office and thanked the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.