ICE HSI New York investigation leads to total of 65 years’ incarceration for production of child pornography

NEW YORK — Following an investigation and subsequent arrest made by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New York, A New Jersey man was sentenced in the District of New Jersey Tuesday to 480 months in prison for producing and possessing images and videos of child sexual abuse. This sentencing comes on the heels on a 25 year sentence from the Eastern District of New York.

Gregory John Schaffer, 39, of Bayonne, NJ, was previously found guilty on all three counts of an indictment charging him with two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He was convicted following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares, who imposed the sentence Tuesday in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in the case and the evidence at trial, in 2010, Schaffer sexually abused a 12-year-old girl in a tow-truck office in Union City, New Jersey, and video recorded the abuse without her knowledge. He later stored the video recording on a laptop computer found by law enforcement in his office in Jersey City, New Jersey. Schaffer also backed-up the video recording to another electronic storage device found in his office.

Around the same time, Schaffer also sexually abused a 14-year-old girl in a hotel room and video recorded the abuse without her knowledge. Schaffer again stored the video recording on the same laptop computer and electronic storage device that law enforcement found in his office.

Law enforcement also found additional sexually explicit videos and images of minors on Schaffer’s laptop computer and electronic storage device.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Linares sentenced Schaffer to lifetime supervised release. On July 24, 2015, Schaffer was sentenced in the EDNY to 25 years in federal prison and lifetime supervised release for violating Title 18 USC 2422 (a) – travel in interstate commerce to engage in sexual activity and Title 18 USC 2422 (b) – to persuade, induce, coerce and individual who has not attained the age of 18 years to engage in sexual activity.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 16,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2016, more than 2,600 child predators were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 800 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

HSI is a founding member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.