Earlier today in Brooklyn federal court, Steven LaBianca was sentenced to 12 years in prison for coercion and enticement of minors, as well as possession of child pornography. United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly handed down the sentence after LaBianca pleaded guilty in September 2024.
According to prosecutors, LaBianca used the internet to communicate with several minor victims, persuading them to create and send sexually explicit images and videos. The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York operates as the federal prosecutor’s office for this region, handling such cases from its offices in Brooklyn and Central Islip and representing the United States in both criminal prosecutions and civil matters across Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau County, and Suffolk County (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny).
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge at the FBI’s New York Field Office, announced the sentencing.
“Today, the defendant received a significant and deserved jail term for using manipulation and deception to exploit vulnerable victims, wrongly believing he could act without consequence,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This prosecution makes clear that coercion and enticement and possession of child pornography—particularly when directed at minors—will be met with the full force of federal law. Our Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect victims and hold sexual predators accountable.”
“For years, Steven LaBianca prowled online platforms to exploit minor victims by forcing them to engage in sexually explicit conversations and create pornographic material. Not only did his coercion abuse the innocence of young girls, it also revictimized those whose recordings were shared in other threads for LaBianca’s twisted desires. The FBI will continue its mission to protect children from online sexual predators and investigate anyone who attempts to exploit them,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
Court documents revealed that beginning in 2017 LaBianca communicated online with a 15-year-old girl living in Cyprus (referred to as Jane Doe 2). He convinced her to send nude photographs and videos showing her engaged in sexual acts; he also instructed her to watch pornographic content involving other young girls. At one point he threatened Jane Doe 2 that he would leave her for someone younger once she got older. He also told her how she should delete evidence if approached by law enforcement authorities.
From September 2017 through May 2020 LaBianca contacted multiple girls—some as young as 13—through social media platforms including Omegle, Skype, and Instagram. He coerced these minors into sending him sexually explicit images or videos.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative started by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation online—which brings together resources from federal prosecutors’ offices like that of Eastern District of New York along with state agencies (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Andy Palacio from the Organized Crime and Gangs Section.
LaBianca is a 53-year-old resident of Brooklyn.
