The Village of Liberty Police Department has arrested 16 people following two separate investigations focused on alleged online child exploitation and violations of New York’s sex offender registration requirements.
Liberty Police Chief Steven D’Agata announced the arrests alongside the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, saying the two investigations were separate but shared the same goal of protecting children and the community.
The first investigation, called “Operation Dangerous DMs,” was conducted over several months and targeted adults accused of using social media and online communications to seek sexual contact with people they believed were children.
According to D’Agata, Liberty police officers worked undercover online, posing as underage children. Investigators said the suspects believed they were communicating with actual minors.
Police allege that some of the conversations continued for days or weeks and included sexually explicit messages, requests for sexual material and discussions about sexual activity. In several cases, suspects allegedly arranged to meet the person they believed was a child and traveled to predetermined locations, where they were met by Liberty police officers and arrested.
Six people were arrested as part of Operation Dangerous DMs. Charges include attempted rape in the second degree, attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors, attempted promotion of sexual performances by children and attempted luring of a child into a vehicle or building to commit a crime.
D’Agata said the investigation reflects how social media and online communications have changed the way people seeking to exploit children can make contact.
“A person looking to exploit a child no longer has to approach that child at a park, at school, or on the street,” D’Agata said during the announcement.
He said police need to operate in the same online spaces where potential offenders may be communicating with children.
The department also announced the results of a second investigation, called “Operation Registry Repo.”
That investigation focused on registered sex offenders living in the Village of Liberty and whether they were complying with requirements under New York’s Sex Offender Registration Act.
Police reviewed registration records and investigated potential violations involving changes of address and internet identifiers, including usernames and online accounts.
The investigation culminated in a coordinated enforcement action on August 12, when Liberty police officers and detectives arrested 10 registered sex offenders.
Police said the charges primarily involve felony allegations that individuals failed to register internet identifiers or report changes of address. Some defendants also face unrelated charges.
D’Agata said accurate information in the sex offender registry is important for both law enforcement and the public, particularly as more communication takes place through social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms and other online services.
“A sex offender registry only serves its purpose when that information is accurate,” he said.
The chief said the department plans to continue closely monitoring compliance with registration requirements and investigating suspected criminal activity both online and in the community.
D’Agata credited Sergeant Christopher Orlando, Officer Matthew O’Keefe and Officer Matt Brooks, members of the department’s sex offender investigation unit, for their work on both investigations. He also thanked the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office for assisting with the cases.
D’Agata stressed that the charges announced by police are accusations and that each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.