October 28, 2005

DILLON ANNOUNCES:

CHARGING OF QUEENS MAN ACCUSED OF BEING AN ONLINE PREDATOR

Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon announced today that the DA’s Technology Crime Unit has charged Thomas Sheehan, 46, of 21 Stony Wood Road, East Setauket. Sheehan is accused of having sexual explicit conversations with a person who he believed was a 14 year old female. Sheehan is an attorney practicing out of an office in Jackson Heights.

According to Dillon, "Sheehan, while using the AOL screen name ‘BRASAM8,’ visited chatrooms where he encountered an undercover investigator from my office who was acting in an undercover capacity as a 14 year old female. During September and October, Sheehan engaged in multiple sexually explicit conversations with this undercover investigator, and spoke about sexual acts he wanted to perform with the undercover."

"During the course of online conversations with the undercover, Sheehan talked about meeting the 14 year old girl to engage in sexual activity," said Dillon. "Sheehan was, however, simultaneously conversing with New York City undercovers and was arrested on that case when he met with an undercover officer. This was after engaging in several sexually graphic criminal conversations with our undercover."

Sheehan has been charged with two counts of Attempted Disseminating Indecent Material to Minors in the First Degree, a Class E Felony, punishable by up to 4 years in prison.

"Criminality such as this will not be tolerated by my office," said Dillon. "Matters such as this are a priority of my office and that is why I created the Operation Teensaver Program four years ago. We have again successfully intercepted a would-be predator before he was able to make contact with a vulnerable minor. Since we began Operation Teensaver, we have made 24 arrests. Those who prowl the Internet in search of young victims should take this arrest as a stern warning: Either stop your predatory behavior, or we will aggressively search you out and stop you before you can harm our children."

The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.