Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Miriam E. Rocah, Westchester County District Attorney, Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and John Mueller, the Commissioner of the Yonkers Police Department (“YPD”), announced today that JONATHAN RIVERA and DILICIA AGUIRRE-ORELLANA were charged with production and receipt and distribution of child pornography. AGUIRRE-ORELLANA was also charged with possession of child pornography.
RIVERA was arrested on or about February 26 in Manhattan, and will be presented on Feb. 28 in federal court in White Plains. AGUIRRE-ORELLANA was arrested on or about February 22 in Yonkers, presented on local charges on or about February 23, and detained; she will be presented on the federal charges at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Allegedly at the behest of Jonathan Rivera, Dilicia Aguirre-Orellana is accused of one of the most heinous acts imaginable – the sexual assault of prepubescent children – including the sexual abuse and video recording of her four-year-old son. The harm that child sex abuse can inflict on the most innocent of victims is something no child should bear. We believe there may be more victims of these alleged crimes, and implore anyone who may have information helpful to law enforcement to please call 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: “The level of depravity alleged in the charges filed today against Mr. Rivera are nearly unfathomable. The FBI and our partners remain committed to bringing to justice all those who would seek to harm our society’s most vulnerable members. We are asking anyone with information about Mr. Rivera or his alleged activity to contact us at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or online at tips.fbi.gov.”
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah said: “Crimes committed against children, especially ones perpetrated by a parent or caretaker, are deeply disturbing and those who prey upon and sexually exploit children will be aggressively prosecuted. As alleged in this case, Dilicia Aguirre-Orellana sexually violated and exploited her own child in unspeakable ways. This case shows how law enforcement at the federal, state and local levels can work together to protect the most vulnerable victims. My office is proud to have partnered with the Yonkers Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York on this remarkable collaborative effort which put an end to the alleged abuse of a young victim, and will help any other potential victims come forward.”
YPD Commissioner John Mueller said: “It is at the core of every law enforcement officer to protect the vulnerable and innocent, most of all children. We must hold these alleged criminals accountable to the maximum extent of the law for the abuse they inflicted on the smallest members of our society; the Yonkers Police will always continue to put victims first. I am grateful for the sustained multi-agency collaboration on the County, State, and Federal levels that ensures safe communities in Westchester and the City of Yonkers, and applaud the efforts of the investigators and attorneys who worked this case.”
According to the Complaint[1] filed on February 28, 2022, in White Plains federal court:
In or about December 2021, RIVERA communicated online with AGUIRRE-ORELLANA and persuaded AGUIRRE-ORELLANA to make videos of herself performing sex acts on her four-year-old child (“Victim-1”). At RIVERA’s direction, AGUIRRE-ORELLANA made videos of herself touching Victim’s genitals and herself performing oral sex on Victim-1, and sent them to RIVERA over a social media messaging application. In conversations with law enforcement, RIVERA stated that he engaged in similar conversations with other women online. RIVERA may have used various social media platforms to communicate with victims, including WhatsApp, Badoo, Telegram, and Facebook. The usernames of some of RIVERA’s various accounts include:
Jriv3ra718
Jriv3ra11
Jaid3nrivera718
Thebrimbrothers
Jano59fifty
Nathan
On or about February 23, 2022, AGUIRRE-ORELLANA was charged in Westchester County with sexual abuse in the first degree and criminal sexual act in the first degree. The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office will be prosecuting these charges.
Anyone who may have encountered JONATHAN RIVERA (or someone who may have been using the social media usernames identified above), is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
RIVERA, 33, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
AGUIRRE-ORELLANA, 22, of Yonkers, New York, is charged with one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and one count of possession of child pornography involving images of a minor who had not yet attained the age of 12, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force which includes Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the FBI, US Probation, New York State Police, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Westchester County PD, Westchester County DA’s Office, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Rockland County DA’s Office, the NYPD and the Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Peekskill, Greenburgh, New Rochelle, White Plains, Clarkstown and Ramapo Police Departments. This investigation is ongoing.
This case began as an investigation in the YPD Special Victim’s Unit, working jointly with the Special Prosecutions Division Child Abuse Bureau of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, including Bureau Chief Christine Hatfield and Acting Deputy Bureau Chief Owein Levin. The federal prosecution is being handled by the White Plains Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Simon is in charge of the prosecution.
