A 26-year-old Bethpage man registered as a Level 1 sex offender is facing a stack of felony charges after probation officers flagged a phone during a required check-in, leading Nassau County police to arrest him at his home on Adams Avenue. Steven Klauer was taken into custody without incident Tuesday following what police describe as an extensive investigation.
According to the Nassau County Police Department, the case began on July 7, when Klauer responded to the Nassau County probation office at 400 County Seat Drive in Mineola, as required of anyone registered as a Level 1 sex offender. During that visit, probation officers recovered a phone belonging to Klauer that was believed to have been used for sexual purposes, according to Patch.
That discovery set off what police called an extensive investigation, which drew assistance from the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The probe culminated Tuesday with Klauer's arrest at his residence, which police said happened without incident, as reported by Daily Voice.
A Lengthy List of Felony Counts
Klauer is now charged with four counts of disseminating indecent material to minors in the first degree, a class D felony under New York Penal Law, according to the New York State Senate. He also faces six counts of disseminating indecent material to minors in the second degree, the Nassau County Police Department's Special Victims Squad reported.
On top of those counts, Klauer was charged with four counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child less than 17 years of age — also classified as a class D felony, according to the same statutory source — and four counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child less than 16 years of age. The sheer volume of charges reflects the scope of what investigators say they uncovered after the probation office flagged his phone.
Arraignment Set in Hempstead
Klauer was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at First District Court, located at 99 Main Street in Hempstead, the report notes. No further details on the arraignment's outcome, including any plea or bail determination, have been made available.
