Man Added to NY Sex Offender List in February Faces New Child Porn Charges

OSSINING, NY — Westchester County investigators arrested an Ossining man who was out on probation on a child porn conviction, and searched his State Street home Tuesday for obscene images of children from infancy to prepubescence.

He's the second previously convicted sex offender arrested in Westchester this month.

Issac Esau Jara had been designated a Level 2 sex offender in February.

Jara, 29, of 129 State St. was arraigned on a Felony Complaint in the Town of Ossining Justice Court and charged with:

• Four counts of Promoting An Obscene Sexual Performance By A Child, class “D” Felonies,
• One count of Possessing An Obscene Sexual Performance By A Child, a class “E” Felony.

The first four counts of the current felony complaint concern the defendant uploading images to ChatStep, a free public group-chat and media sharing service, on or about and between December 19, 2016 and March 28, 2017, Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced Tuesday.

The images depicted female children, from infant age up to prepubescence, being exposed in sexually obscene positions, prosecutors said.

ChatStep reported the images to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC then forwarded the information to the New York State Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. As a result, a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence this morning, Scarpino said.

During the search warrant, investigators of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office High Technology Crime Bureau also seized a computer device which contained an additional image containing an obscene sexual performance by a child. This image is contained in count five of the felony complaint.

Jara got out of prison in November 2015 after serving time for a child porn possession conviction.

Jara was sentenced Oct. 22, 2014 in Federal Court for the Southern District of New York for possession of child pornography. He received 366 days in federal custody and five years of supervised release. He is currently on federal probation.

That conviction stemmed from downloads of child pornography from the defendant by both the FBI and the New York State Police.

Jara was released to Federal probation on Nov. 17, 2015. His first upload to ChatStep was December 19, 2016.

Jara was certified a Level 2 sex offender on Feb. 7. Now a predicate felon, he can face up to seven years in state prison on each count. He can also be charged federally on this case as a predicate sexual offender and faces federal violation of supervised release charges.

He remains in custody. His next court date is April 11, 2017.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Laura Forbes of the High Technology Crime Bureau. These are allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

SEE ALSO:

• Katonah Worried In 2011 When Level 3 Sex Offender Moved In
  
• Registered Sex Offender Arrested In Katonah For Sexual Exploitation Of Minor