What to Know
- Earlier this week, New York State Police began investigating a report of two men posing as police officers in Westchester County.
- It turns out, however, the men were actually investigators looking into a case of alleged child pornography – a case that led to one arrest
- Michael Gagliardi of Somers was arrested and arraigned on child pornography charges Wednesday; Attorney info was not immediately known
Earlier this week, New York State Police began investigating a report of two men posing as police officers in Westchester County. It turns out, however, the men were actually investigators looking into a case of alleged child pornography – a case that ultimately led to one arrest.
On Monday, New York State Police from the Somers barracks began investigating a reported suspicious incident involving two men posing as police officers asking homeowners if they had security systems in place.
On Thursday, these two men were identified as being from the Westchester District Attorney’s Office investigating a case that eventually led to the arrest of a man accused of child pornography.
Michael Gagliardi, of Somers, was arrested and arraigned on child pornography charges after Westchester County District Attorney’s Criminal Investigators executed a search warrant and seized computers and other devices in his home Wednesday, prosecutors say.
Gagliardi, 51, was charged with promoting an obscene sexual performance of a child and possessing an obscene sexual performance of a child – both felonies.
According to prosecutors, the district attorney’s office was notified by another law enforcement agency that a resident at the Somers address where Gagliardi lives downloaded pornographic images of children.
Local
Westchester County District Attorney’s Criminal Investigators surveilled the property Monday, and subsequently executed a search warrant Wednesday. It was during the investigators’ initial surveillance that a homeowner reported that two men “posing as police officers” were seen in the area.
The investigators allegedly found Gagliardi downloaded on a home computer explicit images of a female child victim, about 4 to 6 years old.
Gagliardi was arraigned Wednesday evening at Bedford Town Court, where he posted $2,500 bail, prosecutors say.
He is scheduled to appear in court July 29.
Attorney information for Gagliardi was not immediately available.
