Richard Leaf
In February of 2021, Richard Leaf, a respected member of the Westchester community, was arrested by the FBI and charged with receiving and possessing videos and images containing child pornography.
Leaf, 72, and from Somers, was sentenced on July 2 by Federal Judge Philip Halpern to a 10-year prison term. “He knew exactly what he was doing,” said Judge Halpern, who could have sentenced Leaf to 17 years, or 5 years, which is what Leaf’s attorneys had recommended.
The details surrounding Leaf’s arrest are disturbing, as is Leaf’s continued behavior after his initial arrest.
Last year, Leaf admitted to posing as a teenager named “Alex Bronson” to communicate on Skype with a minor who Leaf believed was a 15 years old boy. During the course of these communications, the minor sent Leaf a video of himself masturbating in the shower and a fully nude photo of himself in a bedroom. In addition, law enforcement officers uncovered almost a dozen images and videos containing child pornography on Leaf’s home computer.
The Complaint further alleges that Leaf created a dozen fictitious accounts on Chat Avenue, an online chatroom website, and Skype to communicate with minors. The usernames of some of LEAF’s fictitious accounts include: alex Bronson, sportsboi.15, alex15, 15brandon, zach.914, runnerboi.14, austinf19, sportsgirl.914, brandon.williams.23, dan.dan77771, beachsand.7, Austin A.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss urged parents and young adults who may have interacted with any of these usernames to call 1-800-CALL-FBI to help provide additional information that would help the investigation and help put this dangerous predator away for the rest of his life.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Richard Leaf is alleged to have engaged in deeply disturbing sexual communications with minors, and in being in possession of child pornography. Child pornography inflicts immeasurable damage upon innocent victims, and this Office and our FBI partners will continue to exhaustively detect, identify, and charge any individuals engaged in this sinister conduct.”
The charge of receiving child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison; and possessing child pornography carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Leaf, a former member of the Westchester County Sports Hall of Fame, was the longtime announcer for Iona College basketball, and a retired Harrison middle school social studies teacher.
But after Leaf gave the FBI permission to search his computer, they found 10 files on his computer involving child pornography. After his arrest in 2021, Leaf told LoHud.com that the videos and photos found on his computer were not his and came from someone “hacking my computer.”
After released on $100,000 bail, Leaf was caught again engaging in illegal pornographic activity online. After that Leaf was back in jail. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ong had asked for a 14-year term, calling Leaf’s actions “predatory.”
During his 34-year career as a Middle School teacher in Harrison, Leaf engaged in perverse conduct with students, including having sleepovers with students that involved in appropriate touching and masterbation.
One of Leaf’s victims filed a lawsuit against the Harrison school district under the Child Victims Act. And part of the reason for Judge Halperin stiff sentence was after hearing about Leaf’s other, more serious activities decades before.
