Crime & Safety
Child Sex Predator Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison
The Yorktown tennis instructor, who carried on despite repeated convictions, has not yet been sentenced in connection with the Putnam County case.
Jonathan DeLaura, 39, was sentenced today to 35 years in prison by United States District Judge Kenneth M. Karas for receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet, possessing child pornography, and sending obscene material to a 15-year-old boy.
The Yorktown resident has a long history of sex offenses against children. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings, officials said:
- On October 7, 2009, DELAURA, of Jefferson Valley, Westchester County, New York, pled guilty in Bronx County Court to sexual misconduct. His victim was a 12-year-old boy. He was sentenced on December 16, 2009, to six years of probation and registered with the New York State Sex Offender Registry.
- On December 14, 2010, after Westchester Probation Department discovered that DELAURA was teaching tennis to children in Putnam County, New York, under an alias “Jon Dulak,” his probation was revoked and he was sentenced to a one-year term of imprisonment.
- DELAURA was released from prison in April 2011. From May 5, 2011, through May 10, 2011, DELAURA distributed files containing images and videos of child pornography over the Internet via a Peer-to-Peer networking program.
- In November 2011, DELAURA contacted a 15-year-old boy (the “Victim”) in an Internet chat room using the screen name “sillyrabbit” and claimed to be a 17-year-old girl. After an exchange of messages, DELAURA sent obscene photographs to the Victim. Thereafter, DELAURA sexually abused the Victim.
- On February 2, 2012, DELAURA was arrested by officers from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department (“PCSD”). After DELAURA was arrested, PCSD officers executed a search warrant at his residence and recovered an iPod, which contained approximately 162 videos containing images of child pornography and approximately 5 still photos of images containing child pornography. The iPod also contained the obscene photographs that were sent to the Victim.
- Following DELAURA’s arrest in February 2012, an additional victim disclosed repeated sexual abuse by DELAURA in 2010 that began when the victim was 14 years old and DELAURA was the victim’s tennis instructor.
DELAURA has not yet been sentenced in Putnam County. Putnam County will recommend consecutive sentences of one-and-a-third to four years on each of the counts to run concurrent with the federal sentence, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said.
Bharara praised the efforts of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s
Homeland Securities Investigations in New York, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Yorktown Police Department, the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office, and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office in connection with this investigation.
The case is being handled by the White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
This case, Bharara said, underscores the need for law enforcement to remain vigilant in protecting children from those who might prey on them.
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