David Pastorello, 44, of Ithaca, New York, was arrested on Tuesday and appeared in court Wednesday on charges related to the enticement of a minor and distribution of child pornography. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to the complaint, Pastorello sent text messages to a girl under 12 years old, requesting that she engage in sexual acts with him. He also sent indecent images of himself and two images considered child pornography under federal law. The complaint further alleges that Pastorello later entered the victim’s apartment without permission before fleeing. The charges are accusations at this stage, and Pastorello is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Prior to these federal charges, Pastorello had been arraigned in May 2025 in Tompkins County Court for possessing a sexual performance by a child less than 16 years old. In July 2025, just days before the federal incident, he pled guilty in Cortland County Court to disseminating indecent material to a minor; sentencing for that case was pending. He had been released on bond in both state cases.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “Thanks to the quick work of federal, state, and local law enforcement, children have been protected and a dangerous predator has been apprehended. Despite having committed other crimes relating to child sexual abuse, Pastorello was allowed by state authorities to be out of custody. His new crimes demonstrate how dangerously unwise that decision was. Pastorello will be held fully accountable for the federal offenses he has committed.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Mr. Pastorello, a repeat offender with an alarming criminal history, is a dangerous predator who is now facing serious federal charges. These charges would not have been possible without the incredible assistance and coordination provided by our partners from the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, Ithaca Police Department, and New York State Police. Our communities should know the FBI is committed to leveraging these strong partnerships to bring the full weight of the federal government down on these disturbing predators looking to harm our children.”
After his initial appearance in court, Pastorello was remanded into custody by the United States Marshals Service until further proceedings.
If convicted of enticement of a minor charge under federal law, Pastorello faces up to life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years; for distribution of child pornography he could receive up to 20 years with at least five years required as minimum punishment. Sentencing decisions will consider statutory guidelines as well as factors specific to each case; conviction would also require sex offender registration.
The investigation is being conducted jointly by the FBI and New York State Police while Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis leads prosecution efforts under Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative focused on combating child exploitation through cooperation among various agencies (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
Project Safe Childhood brings together resources from multiple levels of law enforcement across jurisdictions aiming both at prosecuting offenders using technology against minors and at identifying victims for rescue.
