CBP officers at JFK intercept suspected child sexual abuse material, FDNY EMT arrested on state charges

NEW YORK — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Human Trafficking Unit intercepted an active member of the New York City Fire Department serving as an Emergency Medical Technician after discovering a large volume of suspected child sexual abuse material on a mobile device. 

On June 1, 2026, CBP officers encountered a 23-year-old U.S. citizen arriving at JFK from Santiago, Dominican Republic. The traveler was referred to secondary inspection. 

During the inspection, officers conducted a baggage examination and an electronic device examination which revealed a hidden folder containing approximately 14,000 images and videos. Preliminary review indicated multiple videos and images depicting adults engaged in sexual acts with prepubescent children, prepubescent and pubescent children engaged in sexual acts, and pubescent and age-indeterminate individuals engaged in sexual acts. 

Officers also discovered the presence of the MEGA cloud storage application on the device. MEGA is known for end-to-end encryption that can be exploited to store and distribute digital contraband, including child sexual abuse material, and can hinder law enforcement access without user credentials. 

The traveler, who at the time of arrest was an active member of the Fire Department of the City of New York and employed as an EMT, displayed FDNY credentials to CBP officers during the inspection.

CBP’s Human Trafficking Unit notified the Homeland Security Investigations Human Exploitation and Trafficking Team. HSI special agents responded to JFK, conducted an interview, and seized the traveler’s mobile phone under federal authority. HSI then coordinated with the New York City Police Department, and state authorities accepted the case for prosecution.

“Every day, our CBP officers at JFK stand on the front lines of some of the most disturbing crimes we encounter in law enforcement, and their vigilance in this case helped prevent further harm to vulnerable children,” said CBP New York’s Director of Field Operations Frank Russo. “Their professionalism and resilience, combined with the outstanding work of our partners at Homeland Security Investigations, the New York City Police Department and the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, demonstrate how critical these partnerships are to holding offenders accountable, especially those in positions of public trust.”

Employee Assistance, Peer Support and Chaplain services were offered to all CBP officers involved. 

On June 1, the defendant appeared in Queens Supreme Criminal Court and was arraigned on New York state sexual offense charges. 

CBP and HSI are at the forefront of identifying, investigating, and referring for prosecution individuals involved in the possession, distribution, and production of child sexual abuse material.