Joon H. Kim, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the arrest and filing of charges against DAVID OHNMACHT, a 36-year-old registered sexual offender in Westchester, New York. The Amended Complaint filed yesterday in White Plains federal court charges that OHNMACHT persuaded a 14-year-old girl (“Victim-1”) to engage in sexually explicit activity, video it, and transmit it, via Instagram, to OHNMACHT. The Amended Complaint also charges that OHNMCHT engaged in that conduct while being someone required to register as a sexual offender. OHNMACHT was presented yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith McCarthy in White Plains federal court and detained without bail.
If convicted, OHNMACHT faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “David Ohnmacht allegedly convinced a 14-year-old girl to send him sexually explicit videos of herself and threatened to release it to her friends if she did not send more. It is one of law enforcement’s most important missions to protect children from this type of allegedly predatory conduct.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Our job as law enforcement is to protect people from criminals, but our job gets harder as more predators approach children and take advantage of them. Those alleged predators have more access in this digital age than they’ve ever had before, but as parents we have to be the first line of defense by talking with them and making sure they know the dangers that lurk online. The alleged subject in this case is what parents fear the most, a known sexual predator making contact with their child. Our jobs may get harder, but that won’t stop us from going after and stopping criminals from preying on our children.”
According to the Amended Complaint filed today in White Plains federal court[1]:
From November 2016 through February 2017, OHNMACHT communicated online via Instagram with a 14-year-old girl (“Victim-1”) and convinced Victim-1 to take and transmit sexually explicit videos of Victim-1 to OHNMACHT.
OHNMACHT utilized the screen names “Dannyw290” and “little.kitty.love” during his communications with Victim-1. OHNMACHT told Victim-1 that if she did not make and transmit additional videos, he would expose Victim-1’s prior videos to her friends on Instagram.
OHNMACHT was convicted on August 19, 2003, in Westchester County Court of multiple sexual abuse and sexual assault charges including Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree, Possessing an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child less than 16 years old, Rape in the First Degree, Use of a Child less than 17 years of age in a sexual performance, Possessing a Sexual Performance by a child less than 16 years of age, Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, Promoting a Sexual Performance by a child less than 17 years of age, and Sodomy, Intercourse, Forcible Compulsion. OHNMACHT was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 40 months to ten years. He served approximately nine years in prison and was released on or about November 1, 2011. OHNMACHT then began a five-year term of post-release supervision with New York State Parole that ended on or about November 1, 2016.
OHNMACHT’s prior convictions involved four different victims, who ranged in age from 13 to 15. As a result of his convictions, OHNMACHT was required to register with the New York State Sex Offender Registry.
OHNMACHT was arrested yesterday morning in Katonah, New York.
Mr. Kim praised the efforts of the FBI. He also thanked the FBI’s Wilmington, North Carolina, Resident Agency, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office in Wilmington, North Carolina, and the Bedford, New York, Police Department in connection with this investigation.
Mr. Kim stated that the investigation is ongoing. Any individuals with relevant information concerning DAVID OHNMACHT and any individuals who may have encountered someone using the user names “Dannyw290” or “little.kitty.love” should contact the FBI at (914) 925-3700.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
This is the first posting by new Acting U. S. Attorney for the Southern District Joon H. Kim.
Former U. S. Attorney Preet Bharara you will be missed.
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