HOWARD BEACH MAN CHARGED WITH TRANSMITTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OVER THE INTERNET AND USING THE INTERNET TO ARRANGE LIAISONS WITH CHILDREN; ALSO FACES CHARGES OF SEXUALLY ABUSING FOUR YEAR OLD CHILD

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that a 42 year old Howard Beach resident has been arrested and charged with transmitting child pornography over the Internet and using the Internet to arrange sexual liaisons with children. He has also been charged with sexually abusing a four year old child.

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Martin Schraier of 149-19 81st Street, Howard Beach, who has been charged with attempted sodomy in the first degree; promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child and sexual abuse in the first degree. He also faces additional charges relating to the possession, receipt of and transmission of images depicting sexual conduct by a child under the age of 16 years of age in violation of New York's Penal Law. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 15 years in prison and would be subject to registration as a sex offender under New York's "Megan's Law."

District Attorney Brown said, "I have said many times that those who deal in child pornography are no different than those who physically abuse children and this case makes that fact abundantly clear. Not only does this defendant stand accused of transmitting child pornography on the Internet but he is also accused of having used the Internet to attempt to sodomize a five year old and to have sexual intercourse with a 15 year old girl and to have sexually abused a four year old girl."

According to District Attorney Brown, it is alleged that the defendant transmitted on the Internet pornographic images of children as young as five years of age engaged in sex acts to other on-line individuals. It is further alleged that the defendant spoke online with a member of an outside parent group that acts as a watchdog agency to protect children against pedophiles on the Internet who told him that she knew a 14 year old girl who would be willing to have sex with him. When the defendant expressed interest, she allegedly gave him the E-Mail address of the NYPD's Computer Investigation and Technical Unit The defendant then allegedly engaged in sexual conversations through an Internet 'instant message' with an undercover officer who posed as a 15 year old girl. It is alleged that the defendant discussed meeting the purported fifteen year old girl in Queens County and having sex with her and with a five year old that she was supposedly babysitting.

The District Attorney said that the defendant is also alleged to have spoken online with an investigative reporter in California from Independent News Network, affiliated with Fox News who allegedly posed as a father with a young daughter and arranged a date to meet the defendant for the purpose of the defendant having sexual intercourse with the daughter. In addition, it is alleged that the defendant sexually abused a four year old girl.

Two search warrants were executed late yesterday at the defendant's home in Howard Beach and at an electronic firm in Jamaica where the defendant is employed as an electrical engineer and blueprint estimator. The search warrants were signed by Criminal Court Justice Steven W. Paynter and authorized the seizure of the defendant's computers, discs and other relevant material.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Kevin Coco and New York City Police Officer Luke Cats under the supervision of Sergeant James Doyle of the New York Police Department's Computer Investigation and Technical Unit under the supervision of Lieutenant Christopher Malinowski.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John Carroll of the Queens District Attorney's Special Victims Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Lucinda C. Suarez and under the overall supervision of Executive District Attorney for Major Crimes Gregory L. Lasak. Assistant District Attorney John Carney of the District Attorney's Economic Crimes Bureau under the supervision of Bureau Chief Michael J. Mansfield and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Robert D. Alexander conducted the investigation.

It is to be noted that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.