A Suffolk County Sheriff’s corrections officer is facing a felony charge after investigators say they found videos of children being sexually abused on his cellphone, involving victims authorities believe were between 5 and 13 years old. The arrest has rattled neighbors in Ridge and stunned local volunteers who knew him from community roles.
According to News 12 Long Island, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney identified the defendant as 42-year-old Robert Sorrentino of Ridge. Prosecutors have charged Sorrentino with possessing a sexual performance by a child. He is a corrections officer with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and, according to the DA’s office, also serves in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and with the Ridge Volunteer Fire Department. The arrest followed a joint investigation by local and federal authorities.
“The alleged conduct of this employee is not only profoundly disturbing, but it is also a serious violation of the trust placed in law enforcement and the people we are sworn to protect,” Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. said in a statement.
Tierney also used the case to hammer New York’s bail laws, saying “my Office is legally prohibited from seeking bail in a case such as this,” and urging lawmakers to revisit the statute. Investigators say the FBI traced a cryptocurrency account allegedly used to purchase child sexual abuse material and, after securing a warrant for Sorrentino’s iPhone, recovered multiple incriminating videos. He was arrested Thursday, according to News 12 Long Island.
How investigators say the material was traced
Officials described what they called a clear financial trail. Using blockchain analysis, investigators say they linked payments for child sexual abuse material to a specific cryptocurrency account, then to a Ridge address that they allege is Sorrentino’s home.
Federal and local agents executed digital and device search warrants. Prosecutors say those searches turned up additional files that are now part of the evidence in the case.
Legal context and what comes next
Under New York law, the charge of “possessing a sexual performance by a child” is classified as a class E felony in New York Penal Law section 263.16, as outlined by Justia. Sentences for class E felonies typically range from about 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison, according to guidance from Stengel Law. Tierney has said his office is barred under current state bail reform rules from asking a judge to set bail in this type of case.
Sorrentino was taken into custody Thursday and faces criminal penalties if convicted. Prosecutors have not yet announced any additional charges or a court date, and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office has offered no further comment beyond its initial media statement.
