Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, announced the arrest of James Pagliaro, 26, from Middletown, New York. Pagliaro faces federal charges related to child exploitation offenses, including traveling to Connecticut to engage in sexual activity with a minor.
Pagliaro appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Pagliaro began messaging a 15-year-old girl on TikTok around October 2024. By December 2024, after learning her age, they continued communication via text messages. In January 2025, Pagliaro traveled multiple times to Connecticut for sexual conduct with the minor.
Further allegations indicate that a forensic examination of the minor's iPhone in February 2025 uncovered hundreds of explicit images and videos of her and over 11,000 text messages exchanged with Pagliaro. The messages included instructions for specific sex acts and references acknowledging the illegality due to her age. He also referred to her as his "slave," had her send a "slavery contract," punished her for not following instructions precisely, and asked her to recruit other minors.
The complaint against Pagliaro includes charges such as production of child pornography with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to 30 years imprisonment; receipt of child pornography carrying five years minimum up to 20 years; enticement of a minor with penalties ranging from ten years minimum up to life imprisonment; traveling for sexual activity with a minor which could result in up to 30 years imprisonment; and transfer of obscene material to a minor punishable by up to ten years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman emphasized that these charges are merely allegations at this stage and do not constitute evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
This investigation is conducted by HSI New England along with HSI New York, Orange County Sheriff's Office in New York, and police departments from Danbury, Ridgefield, and Watertown. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases involving child exploitation visit www.cybertipline.com.
