LI Man Who Solicited Sexual Images From Children Online Indicted: DA

LINDENHURST, NY— A Lindenhurst man was indicted on Thursday in connection to promoting sexual performances by children on Thursday, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.

Taner Ocal, 22, was indicted on multiple charges after allegedly contacting children as young as 10 years old through social media and soliciting sexually explicit images and videos from them, Patch reported in June.

According to the investigation, on June 8, Suffolk County Police received information that Ocal had contacted two 10-year-old girls in Texas through Instagram and asked them to film themselves dancing, the DA said.

The DA said Ocal used his Instagram account to pose as a dance instructor and contact the young girls who blocked his account and told their parents when Ocal asked them to send explicit
photos of themselves, the DA said. The parents reported his actions to the Fort Worth Police Department. After Fort Worth police traced Ocal’s location to Suffolk County, they referred the investigation to the Suffolk County Police Department, the DA said.

On June 12, Suffolk police tracked Ocal down and downloaded the contents of his cell phone, which revealed around 22 images and videos of alleged child sexual abuse, the DA said. Police also determined that several other images had been intentionally deleted prior to their search, the DA said. Ocal was arrested on June 19, the DA said.

Ocal was later arraigned before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis on charges including eight counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child less than 17 years of age, a Class D felony, 22 counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child less than 16 years of age, a Class E felony, and one count of tampering with physical evidence, a Class E felony, the DA said.

Wilutis continued Ocal’s previously set bail of $25,000, $50,000 bond or $250,000 partially
secured bond, the DA said. However, because Ocal made bail, Wilutis ordered that his release be supervised with added conditions including internet and computer monitoring and that he surrender his passport, the DA said.

Ocal is due back in court on August 20 and is being represented by Glenn Obedin, who was not immediately available for comment.

"The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office takes allegations of crimes against children extremely seriously," said Tierney. "We have filed charges in this case based on evidence referred to us by the Forth Worth Police Department. Due to the ongoing investigation of this case and the age of the alleged victims, we are limited in specific details we can share at this time, but suffice to say, that when it comes to the investigation of child exploitation cases, law enforcement is watching."