New York corrections officer sentenced for attempted child enticement
TAMPA, Fla. — A New York man was sentenced Tuesday to 14 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a child for sexual activity. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
According to court documents, between June 2013 and July 2014, Jude Thaddeus Danahy, 35, of Buffalo, New York, communicated via email and text messages with an undercover agent that he believed was the mother of an 11-year-old girl. Danahy responded to an online advertisement and expressed in graphic detail his desire to engage in sexual acts with the supposed child. He repeatedly sent graphic messages to the mom and attempted to persuade and induce the child’s assent by sending her a princess dress. Danahy also repeatedly solicited pornographic images of the child, and he mailed the mom a digital camera so that she could send him images. Danahy was arrested July 1, 2014, and pleaded guilty Aug. 27. At sentencing, he was also ordered to forfeit the equipment he had used to commit the offense.
“It is especially egregious when a person in a position of authority, like this corrections officer, attempts to victimize our children,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “HSI will continue to aggressively pursue criminals who prey on the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
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 12,000 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 2014, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.
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. 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.
For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.
HSI is a founding member and current chair 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.
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