FBI: Westchester Mom Videotaped Her Sexual Abuse Of Her Son

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — A Westchester County woman who prosecutors say videotaped herself sexually abusing her 4-year-old son faces federal charges of possession, production and distribution of child pornography and county charges of sex abuse.

Prosecutors announced the charges Monday against a 22-year-old woman and a Brooklyn man they say talked her into it.

"Allegedly at the behest of Jonathan Rivera, the mother [Patch is withholding her name to protect her son] is accused of one of the most heinous acts imaginable – the sexual assault of prepubescent children – including the sexual abuse and video recording of her four-year-old son," Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a news release. "We believe there may be more victims of these alleged crimes, and implore anyone who may have information helpful to law enforcement to please call 1-800-CALL-FBI.”

She was arrested Feb. 22 and Rivera was arrested Feb. 26.

According to the complaint filed Monday in White Plains federal court, the mother communicated online with Rivera in December and was persuaded to make videos of herself performing sex acts on her four-year-old child. At his direction, she made videos of herself touching the toddler's genitals and herself performing oral sex on him, and sent them to Rivera over social media.

Rivera told law enforcement officials that he engaged in similar conversations with other women online. He may have used various social media platforms to communicate with victims, including WhatsApp, Badoo, Telegram, and Facebook, prosecutors said.

The usernames of some of RIVERA’s various accounts include

• Jriv3ra718
• Jriv3ra11
• Jaid3nrivera718
• Thebrimbrothers
• Jano59fifty
• Nathan

Anyone who may have encountered Jonathan Rivera or someone who may have been using the social media usernames identified above, is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).

The case began as an investigation in the YPD Special Victim’s Unit, working jointly with the Special Prosecutions Division Child Abuse Bureau of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, including Bureau Chief Christine Hatfield and Acting Deputy Bureau Chief Owein Levin.

"I am grateful for the sustained multi-agency collaboration on the County, State, and Federal levels that ensures safe communities in Westchester and the City of Yonkers, and applaud the efforts of the investigators and attorneys who worked this case," said Yonkers Police Commissioner John Mueller.

Rivera, 33, of Brooklyn, is charged with one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, called the level of depravity of which Rivera is accused "nearly unfathomable."

The mother, of Yonkers, faces federal charges of one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and one count of possession of child pornography involving images of a minor who had not yet attained the age of 12, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Also, she was charged in Westchester County with sexual abuse in the first degree and criminal sexual act in the first degree. The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office will be prosecuting those charges.

“Crimes committed against children, especially ones perpetrated by a parent or caretaker, are deeply disturbing and those who prey upon and sexually exploit children will be aggressively prosecuted," Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah said.

Driscoll asked anyone with information about the alleged activity to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or online at tips.fbi.gov.

Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force which includes Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the FBI, US Probation, New York State Police, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Westchester County PD, Westchester County DA's Office, Putnam County Sheriff's Office, Rockland County DA's Office, the NYPD and the Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Peekskill, Greenburgh, New Rochelle, White Plains, Clarkstown and Ramapo Police Departments.

The federal prosecution is being handled by the White Plains Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Simon is in charge of the prosecution.