SOUTHOLD MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO 50 COUNTS OF POSSESSING A SEXUAL PERFORMANCE BY A CHILD

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that James Gaffga, 36, of Southold, pleaded guilty to all 50 counts of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child contained within the indictment, after he was found in possession of a hard drive containing images and videos of children, some as young as 18 months of age, being sexually abused.

“People like this defendant who support the sexual exploitation of minors through possession of child pornography have no place in Suffolk County,” said District Attorney Tierney. “My office will continue to partner with local and federal law enforcement officials to make sure that offenders who download and view child pornography are held accountable for their crimes.” 

According to the investigation and the defendant’s admissions during his guilty plea allocution, on December 16, 2022, Gaffga was in possession of at least 50 images and videos that depicted the sexual abuse and the lewd exhibition of children ranging in age from approximately 18 months to 10 years old. Gaffga admitted that he had viewed these images and videos and was aware of the nature and content of each of them.

On January 31, 2024, Gaffga pleaded guilty before County Court Judge, the Honorable Karen M. Wilutis, to the entire indictment, charging him with 50 counts of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child, Class E felonies.

Following a pre-plea investigation by probation, Gaffga was sentenced on January 31, 2024 to a split sentence of 60 days jail and 10 years of probation. Gaffga will have to register as a sex offender. He was represented by Steven Politi, Esq.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michelle Haddad of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau with investigative assistance from Special Investigator Rory Forrestal of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Southold Town Police Department, and the Suffolk County Police Department.

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