New York City Police Department (NYPD) Officer Carmine Simpson was arrested earlier this week after allegedly posing as a 17-year-old on Twitter in order to obtain sexually explicit pictures and videos from “at least 46 apparent minors, who appear to have been between the ages of 13 and 17,” according to federal prosecutors.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New Yorkn (EDNY) Seth DuCharme alleged that the 26-year-old cop was investigated after “law enforcement in Maryland received two cybertips” from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Simpson was using his social media account “to communicate with and persuade minors to produce and send sexually explicit images and videos.”
Prosecutors allege Simpson’s Twitter profile identified him as being 17. He also allegedly shared photographs of himself–occasionally using “a filter to make himself appear younger than he is.”
Authorities relied upon online chat logs dated between April 2020 and December 2020 during which Carmine allegedly engaged in several extremely explicit conversations with children.
“In these chats, Simpson requested that the minors take sexually explicit videos and pictures of themselves, oftentimes masturbating or after drawing on their body with a marker,” the EDNY’s criminal complaint filed January 28 alleges. “Based on a review of the material submitted by Twitter, Simpson obtained at least 18 photographic images and 33 videos containing child exploitative material from minors. Simpson also obtained at least 162 photographic images and 48 videos containing child erotica.”
Content warning: the court documents described below are lurid and outline allegations of child sex abuse.
From the complaint:
SIMPSON was communicating via Twitter with Jane Doe 1, who appears to be an approximately 13-year-old female. Initially, SIMPSON groomed Jane Doe 1, saying things like, “Babygirl! You are ADORABLE” and “you’re cute to look at.” The conversation gradually escalated, and SIMPSON asked questions such as, “You own cute undies?”, “Yo so turns out imma be home alone for a bit. If you wanna have like FaceTime sex or something???” Initially, Jane Doe 1 responded, “heh um i cant bc i have to like do school stuff :(( sorryyy[.]” Thereafter, SIMPSON convinced Jane Doe 1 to send pictures and videos of herself where she is partially clothed. SIMPSON encouraged Jane Doe 1, saying things like, “This is hot as fuck,” and then sent Jane Doe 1 links to websites as suggestions of the pictures that he would like of Jane Doe 1. SIMPSON also asked Jane Doe 1 if she owned any “toys.”
We’re leaving out many of the alleged details which immediately followed.
Elsewhere from the document:
Thereafter, SIMPSON asked Jane Doe 1 if she liked “body writing”. Several days later, after SIMPSON complained that he had not “seen [Jane Doe 1] naked in two days :(”, and Jane Doe 1 responded that she was busy in school, SIMPSON asked Jane Doe 1 for more nudes.
Again, the allegations against the officer became increasingly explicit. Suffice it to say that the court records contain allegations of conversations and photos described as “highly sexual.”
“As a law enforcement officer, Mr. Simpson swore an oath to protect the public he served,” FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney said in a press release. ” We allege he chose instead to manipulate some of our society’s most vulnerable citizens when he repeatedly enticed children to create sexually explicit videos and photos. Much of this activity occurs through popular social media sites, so I’d ask parents and guardians to take some time to talk with your children about their online activities. You are the first line of defense in protecting our youth from predators. A moment of your time can save a lifetime of trauma.”
“If convicted of sexual exploitation of a child, Simpson faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment,” prosecutors explained.
The graphic complaint is located in full below:
[image via Spencer Platt/Getty Images]
