Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Miriam E. Rocah, Westchester County District Attorney, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the arrest of CHRISTOPHER NUNEZ for persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing a 15-year-old minor to engage in sexual activity. NUNEZ was arrested yesterday in Miami, Florida, and will be presented in Miami federal court.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “This case underlines the urgent need for law enforcement to continue its efforts to protect children from those who prey on them. As today’s arrest shows, we will use every tool available to law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those alleged to have sexually exploited children.”
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah said: “This case highlights the dangers present online that can turn very real for minors in Westchester and elsewhere. We will work together with our law enforcement partners at every level in every jurisdiction to protect our children. I am grateful for the partnership of the SDNY and the FBI in this investigation, which will help identify perpetrators and victims around the country.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “As alleged, we believe Mr. Nunez has chatted and possibly had contact with other victims. We’re asking for everyone to take note of his social media username ‘PLMV23’ and call 1-800-CALL-FBI or go to tips.fbi.gov if you recognize it. Parents and guardians are the first line of defense in keeping sexual predators from getting access to children, so please pay attention to what your children are doing online. Ask questions about with whom they’re chatting, and make sure you know how to use the security features on all their devices. A conversation with a child today may protect them from a trauma which will last a lifetime.”
According to the Complaint[1] filed on June 1, 2021, in White Plains federal court and unsealed today:
Between in or about early March 2021 up to and including on or about May 1, 2021, NUNEZ communicated online with a 15-year-old minor (“Victim-1”) and persuaded Victim-1 to meet NUNEZ in person to engage in sexual activities with him. NUNEZ used various social media platforms to communicate with Victim-1, including Discord and Snapchat. In his communications with Victim-1 on Discord, NUNEZ used the social media user name, “PLMV23.”
On or about April 30, 2021, and May 1, 2021, NUNEZ travelled to New York from Miami, Florida, to meet with Victim-1 in person in Westchester County, New York, to engage in sexual activity with her.
On or about May 2, 2021, CHRISTOPHER NUNEZ was charged in the Town of North Salem, New York, with Rape in the Third Degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office will be prosecuting these charges.
Anyone who may have encountered CHRISTOPHER NUNEZ (who may have been using the social media user name “PLMV23”), or whose child may have had any communications with NUNEZ, is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).
NUNEZ, 26, of Miami, Florida, is charged with one count of coercion and enticement, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the efforts of the FBI, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, and the New York State Police in connection with this investigation. She added that the investigation is ongoing.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
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