Lacrosse Coach Allegedly Used Snapchat to ‘Sextort’ at Least 30 Boys

A former highschool lacrosse coach is accused of utilizing Snapchat to sexually exploit and blackmail a minimum of 30 underage boys. 

Joseph Garofalo — who labored as an assistant lacrosse coach at Valley Stream Central Excessive Faculty on Lengthy Island, N.Y. — allegedly solicited youngster intercourse abuse photographs from male minors, and later blackmailed his victims into supplying extra nude photographs of themselves and their associates, in keeping with courtroom paperwork seen by PEOPLE.

Garofalo, 20, was arrested and pleaded not responsible to allegedly sexually exploiting kids in April, months after the mom of one in every of Garofalo’s alleged teenage victims tipped off the FBI in October 2024.

In accordance with courtroom paperwork, the unnamed 13-year-old sufferer allegedly despatched Garofalo bare photographs and movies of himself, wherein his face was seen, by way of Snapchat in June 2024. He later reached out months later to make sure the photographs had been deleted.

Garofalo — who was conscious of the teenager’s age — allegedly instructed the sufferer that he nonetheless had the photographs in his possession, and threatened to share them on-line except the sufferer “despatched extra bare photographs or despatched express photographs of his associates,” in keeping with a grievance filed on April 18.

“Gimme a purpose to,” Garofalo allegedly responded to the sufferer’s request to delete, per the grievance. “Ship stuff of ur boys bare n il ldelete [sic],” one other alleged message learn.

Courtroom paperwork describe Garofalo’s conduct as “sextortion,” which the April 18 grievance defines as “when a person (the perpetrator) threatens to inflict hurt on one other particular person (the sufferer) both by distributing non-public and delicate materials, harming the sufferer or associates or kinfolk, and many others., except the sufferer supplies the perpetrator with photographs of a sexual nature, sexual favors, or cash.”

Following his arrest, Garofalo allegedly admitted to FBI brokers that he has an “dependancy” to this conduct, which he has engaged in since he was 15, in keeping with courtroom paperwork. His victims have at all times ranged from 12 to 16 years outdated.

Authorities later searched Garofalo’s Snapchat account — which had been flagged earlier that yr for holding recordsdata that appeared to depict youngster intercourse abuse materials — in November 2024, and located youngster intercourse abuse photographs depicting a minimum of 9 separate minors. That determine greater than tripled after one other search warrant was executed.

After going by only a portion of the 4 telephones present in Garofalo’s possession — two of which have been hidden in his room — authorities have recognized a minimum of 30 victims, a majority of whom reside on Lengthy Island, per courtroom paperwork.

In accordance with Valley Stream Central Excessive Faculty District Superintendent Wayne Loper, no district college students have been amongst Garofalo’s alleged victims.

“We’ve got been involved with investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who’ve suggested that not one of the allegations in opposition to this particular person contain Valley Stream Central Excessive Faculty District college students,” mentioned Loper in an announcement to folks obtained by The Long Island Herald.

Loper additionally confirmed that Garofalo is not employed by the district, in keeping with the newspaper.

Garofalo’s legal professional, Anthony M. La Pinta, didn’t instantly reply to PEOPLE’s request for touch upon Sunday, Might 11.

In an announcement to The New York Post, La Pinta mentioned, “These allegations come as a shock to the Garafolo household. Joseph is understood to be a respectful, caring and hard-working younger man.”

Wish to sustain with the newest crime protection? Join PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime information, ongoing trial protection and particulars of intriguing unsolved circumstances.

As of Might 11, Garofalo stays in custody after a decide denied him bail. He appeared in courtroom for a bond listening to on Might 6, when his household provided up round $1.55 million price of property as collateral for his bail. Garofalo additionally pledged to remain in his mother and father’ residence — with no web, cellphone entry or involvement with the youngsters he used to educate — and to attend counseling weekly.

A decide nonetheless denied him bail, nevertheless, citing concern for the neighborhood due to Garofalo’s years-long “dependancy” to sexually exploiting minors, in addition to the sheer quantity of proof uncovered by the still-incomplete search of his gadgets.

For those who suspect youngster abuse, name the Childhelp Nationwide Baby Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Baby or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is on the market 24/7 in additional than 170 languages.

For those who or somebody has been a sufferer of sexual abuse, textual content “STRENGTH” to the Disaster Textual content Line at 741-741 to be linked to a licensed disaster counselor.