A Long Island pastor, Jose Saez, Jr., admitted to crimes of a deeply troubling nature in a Central Islip federal court. According to a Department of Justice press release, Saez pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a child, an action wholly incongruent with his pastoral duties in Brentwood, New York. Facing a minimum of 15 years to a maximum of 30 years imprisonment, Saez now awaits sentencing by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack.
United States Attorney John J. Durham and FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Leslie R. Backschies announced the guilty plea, alleging that Saez, Jr. committed his crimes in person and online. Durham stated, "The defendant’s sexual exploitation of minors, both in person and online, is horrific, and he now faces at least 15 years in prison for his unspeakable crimes," as noted by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Details revealed in court filings and during the plea proceeding paint a grim picture of the acts Saez is accused of. It was found that he had engaged in sexually explicit conversations with minors using an encrypted messaging service. In these conversations with a law enforcement officer posing undercover, Saez shockingly admitted to abusing an infant and expressed a predatory preference for children aged 11 to 15, revealing that his victims were often found through his church connections. The prosecution's case notes that Saez was caught with a cache of child pornography and had even encouraged a minor to produce and send him such material.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed to fiercely tackle the issue of child exploitation. As highlighted by the DOJ, the program collaborates across federal, state, and local levels to better identify and apprehend those who pose threats to our most vulnerable. For anyone with information regarding such exploitation by the defendant, they are urged to reach out and contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or call 212-384-1000.
