LINDENHURST MAN INDICTED FOR PROMOTING A SEXUAL PERFORMANCE BY A CHILD

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the indictment of Taner Ocal, 22, of Lindenhurst, accused of promoting a sexual performance by a child, and related charges, for allegedly contacting children as young as 10 years old through social media, and soliciting sexually explicit images and videos from them.

“The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office takes allegations of crimes against children extremely seriously,” said District Attorney Tierney. “We have filed charges in this case based on evidence referred to us by the Forth Worth Police Department. Due to the ongoing investigation of this case and the age of the alleged victims, we are limited in specific details we can share at this time, but suffice to say, that when it comes to the investigation of child exploitation causes, law enforcement is watching.”

According to the investigation, on June 8, 2024, Suffolk County Police received information that Ocal had allegedly contacted two 10-year-old girls in Texas through the social media app Instagram and asked them to film themselves dancing. Ocal allegedly used his Instagram account to pose as a dance instructor and contact female children.  When Ocal asked them to send explicit photos of themselves, the children blocked his account and told their parents. The parents then reported his alleged actions to the Fort Worth Police Department.

After they confirmed Ocal’s location in Suffolk County, the Fort Worth Police Department referred the investigation to the Suffolk County Police Department.

On June 12, 2024, Suffolk police tracked down Ocal and were able to make contact with him to download the contents in his cellular phone. During their investigation, approximately 22 images and videos of alleged child sexual abuse were recovered from the phone.

Notably, police determined that several original images had been intentionally deleted prior to their search of the phone. Ocal was arrested on June 19, 2024.

On July 11, 2024, Ocal was arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis, for eight counts of Promoting a Sexual Performance By a Child Less than Seventeen Years of Age, a Class D felony, 22 counts of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child Less than Sixteen Years of Age, a Class E felony, and one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence, a Class E felony.

Justice Wilutis continued Ocal’s previously set bail of $25,000, $50,000 bond or $250,000 partially secured bond. However, because Ocal made bail, Justice Wilutis ordered that his release be supervised with added conditions that include internet and computer monitoring and the surrendering of his passport. Ocal is due back in court on August 20, 2024, and is being represented by Glenn Obedin, Esq.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Zachary Kelly of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detective Steven D’Agostino of the Digital Forensics Unit of the Suffolk County Police Department.

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Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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