Defendant, a Queens Resident, Enticed Victims by Pretending to be a Modeling Scout
In federal court in Brooklyn, Davis Burgos-Collazo was convicted by a jury of attempting to sexually exploit five children, two counts of distributing child pornography, accessing child pornography with intent to view it, and committing a felony sexual offense involving minors while being a registered sex offender. The verdict was returned after a one-week trial before United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen. When sentenced, the defendant faces up to life in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict.
“The defendant, a registered sex offender who deviously portrayed himself as a modeling scout to lure victims, repeatedly victimized minors without regard for the profound harm he was causing them. With today’s verdict, he now faces the consequences necessary to protect the community from this serial predator,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “I urge parents and caregivers to remain vigilant about the importance of educating our children about the dangers of communicating online with strangers.”
Mr. Peace thanked the FBI-NYPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force for their work on the case.
“Burgos’s conviction illustrates how vulnerable our children are to sexual predators. The heartbreaking pleas from one of his victims to be left alone should shock parents and guardians. Please talk with children about the dangers they can face online, and tell them they can ask for help if they face a similar situation,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
As proven at trial, in 2020, Burgos-Collazo used at least 26 Instagram accounts to attempt to sexually exploit children as young as nine-years-old. The defendant enticed the victims by pretending to be a modeling scout and by using accounts with names like “future models” and “preteen beauty pics.” In addition, after the defendant had coerced one victim into performing live sex acts for him on Instagram and she pleaded with him to leave her alone, he threatened to post a naked picture of the 10-year-old child online for her friends to see. The FBI recovered over 100 photos and videos of child pornography on the defendant’s phone. Burgos committed the crimes while he was a registered sex offender. In March 2006, he was convicted of raping a seven-year-old minor and attempting to sexually assault two other minors, ages 9 and 11.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
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