Former New York City Police Department Sergeant Sentenced To 28 Years In Prison For Conspiring To Sexually Exploit Children

Earlier today, Alberto Randazzo, a former sergeant with the New York City Police Department, was sentenced to 28 years in prison, eight years of supervised release and sex offender registration for sexual exploitation and receipt of child pornography.   Today’s sentencing took place before United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York.

The sentence was announced by Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD).

“Alberto Randazzo lived a double life, publicly serving as an NYPD police officer while privately engaging in conduct to exploit the most vulnerable members of the community – our children,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde.  “Together with our law enforcement partners we will continue to strive to protect the most vulnerable among us.” 

“Randazzo held a position with the sole purpose to serve and protect the people of this city. Instead, he targeted certain women, persuaded them to sexually abuse their children and had them send him pictures and videos of the acts,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Melendez. “His behavior is no less than deplorable. It is with continued joint law enforcement efforts that we can target these types of offenders and ensure that they are punished for their heinous deeds.”

“Alberto Randazzo’s exploitation of innocent children is unconscionable. I am grateful to our detectives in Internal Affairs, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York for their work in bringing Randazzo to justice for these horrific crimes,” said Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill.

On July 12, 2016, the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to sexually exploit a child and one count of receipt of child pornography.  According to court filings, from as early as 2010 through 2013, Randazzo targeted women through websites such as Ashley Madison and Match.com and persuaded them to sexually abuse children to whom they had access, so he could watch the abuse.  Randazzo was caught in February 2013, when a witness found disturbing text messages on Randazzo’s phone and uncovered emails from women sending Randazzo pictures of them molesting their children.  When the witness confronted him, Randazzo admitted his sexual interest in mothers having sex with their children.

Based on the information obtained from the witness and the photographs, the Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) of the NYPD obtained a search warrant for Randazzo’s apartment and found numerous images and videos of child pornography, including a number of videos of child pornography that were created by Randazzo himself.  Randazzo was arrested and charged in Queens Criminal Court.  At the time of his arrest, Randazzo had been a member of the NYPD for 15 years.  While on bail in connection with that case, Randazzo was discovered by Special Agents of HSI to be downloading child pornography, which led to the federal investigation and federal charges being filed. 

At sentencing the government presented evidence that at least five women complied with Randazzo’s solicitations and sexually abused children in order to satisfy his sexual desires.  Randazzo’s victims ranged in age from a few months to eight years old, and he traveled out of state to watch two of them be molested in person.  Randazzo arranged to have the eight-year-old victim drugged so that he would not remember the abuse. 

Three of the women Randazzo solicited have also been charged in the Eastern District of New York. Two have pleaded guilty, one of whom was sentenced to five years imprisonment, one of whom is awaiting sentencing, and another is awaiting trial.

 Ms. Rohde thanked HSI and the NYPD for their joint efforts in bringing Randazzo to justice and thanked the Queens District Attorney’s Office for their continuing assistance.

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler Smith and Moira Kim Penza. 

The Defendant:

ALBERTO RANDAZZO

Age:  40

Astoria, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 14-CR-189 (PKC)