A man in New York has been arrested for possessing child pornography following a tip from police in Texas, where his two alleged 10-year-old victims live.
A case across two states has led to the arrest of a man who police say was posing online as a female dance instructor in order to receive inappropriate and pornographic material from young girls.
Detectives in Long Island, New York were able to piece their case against Taner Ocal, 22, of Lindehnhurst after police in Fort Worth, Texas provided them with a tip.
According to the Suffolk County Police Digital Forensics Unit, Ocal posed as a female dance teacher on Instagram where he offered dance tips in exchange for inappropriate videos. He was able to reach at least two young girls, both 10 years old, from Texas.
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The girls reported their conversations — which took place in May and June — to the Forth Worth police, leading to a search warrant executed by Suffolk County Police in Lindenhurst.
After the tip, police reported finding child pornography on the suspect’s cell phone, as well as “sexually explicit conversations” conducted via text message with “several” underage girls, per Long Island’s NewsDay.
Ocal is facing two charges: a Class E Felony charge of possessing a sexual performance of a child, and a Class D Felony charge of promoting a sexual performance of a child.
At his arraignment on Thursday, Ocal pleaded not guilty, according to court records. His bail was set at $25,000 case or $50,000 insured bond or $100,000 partially secured surety bond.
Detectives are still looking into the case to see if the suspect was in contact with any girls outside of Texas. They’re asking anyone who believes they may be a victim, or anyone with additional information to contact the Digital Forensics Unit at 631-852-6279.
If you are experiencing or witness child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911.
