Earlier today, Anthony Pangallo, a previously convicted sex offender, pleaded guilty in federal court in Central Islip to charges of sexual exploitation of a child. During the plea hearing before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert, Pangallo admitted to soliciting and receiving sexually explicit images and videos from four young female victims. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and up to 50 years in prison.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Field Office, announced the guilty plea.
“Our Office will continue its relentless pursuit of sexual predators who target minors, and work to secure lengthy prison sentences to protect the public and vulnerable children from these depraved individuals,” stated U.S. Attorney Nocella. “This defendant’s conduct was especially abhorrent because, despite being a registered sex offender following a prior state conviction, he continued to target multiple young victims.”
Nocella also thanked the New York City Police Department, Westport Police Department, and Connecticut State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance.
“Anthony Pangallo pretended to be a teenager to gain the trust of prepubescent girls before sexually grooming and forcing elicit explicit content from them. As a registered sex offender, Pangallo has continued to repeatedly exploit and abuse minors to fulfill his own perverted desires,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “The FBI maintains its steadfast commitment to protect our community’s vulnerable populations from sexual predators.”
Court documents indicate that Pangallo was first arrested on May 20, 2021 at his home in Rego Park, New York on state charges filed in Westport, Connecticut. The pending Connecticut case involves allegations that he manipulated a 15-year-old girl online into sending him sexually explicit images. Investigators later found evidence on Pangallo's cellphone revealing communications with other minor females whom he solicited for explicit images.
Four children from Long Island—a 12-year-old and three 13-year-olds—were identified as victims related to the federal charges in this case. Authorities say Pangallo posed as a teenager online and convinced these minors they were in relationships with him before pressuring them for explicit content. At the time these crimes occurred, Pangallo was already required to register as a sex offender due to an earlier conviction for sexual assault of a minor in Atlantic City in August 2009.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood (https://www.justice.gov/psc), an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation by coordinating federal, state, and local resources.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul G. Scotti is handling the prosecution for the government’s Criminal Section within its Long Island Division.
Pangallo is 41 years old and resides in Rego Park, Queens.
