NYPD OFFICER CHARGED IN 119 - COUNT CHILD PORNOGRAPHY INDICTMENT

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Steven Marksberry, 50, of Lake Grove, an NYPD Police Officer, was indicted for possessing child pornography, after allegedly screenshotting and saving child sexual abuse material to his cellular phone.

“Not only is this defendant alleged to have saved a large quantity of child sexual abuse material to his phone, but he is alleged to have done so while he was a sworn police officer. No one is above the law,” said District Attorney Tierney. “The safety of our children is, and always will be, of the utmost priority for my office.”

According to the investigation, the Suffolk County Police Department received an Internet Crimes Against Children tip notifying them that Marksberry had allegedly uploaded child sexual abuse images to his iCloud storage account. A search warrant of Marksberry’s account and cellular phone were executed, and allegedly revealed numerous images depicting sexual abuse of female children between the ages of four and 12 years old.

On July 6, 2023, Marksberry was arraigned on the indictment before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Richard Ambro for 50 counts of Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child, Class D felonies, and 69 counts of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child, Class E felonies. 

Justice Ambro ordered Marksberry held on $100,000 cash, $250,000 bond, or $2.5 million partially secured bond. If convicted of the top count, Marksberry faces up to 20 years in prison. Marksberry is due back in court on August 7, 2023, and he is being represented by Scott Zerner Esq. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Dana Castaldo of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau, with investigative assistance from Detective Andrew Mendes of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Digital Forensics Unit.

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Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments.

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

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