Earlier today in federal court in Central Islip, Joseph Garofalo pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. At the time of the offense, Garofalo was serving as an assistant high school lacrosse coach on Long Island. United States District Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury presided over the proceeding. Garofalo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and could receive up to 30 years in prison.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Field Office, announced the guilty plea.
“This case is a stark reminder that those entrusted with the care and mentorship of children must be held to the highest standards. Our Office will relentlessly pursue predators like this defendant who victimize the most vulnerable members of our society,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect victims and hold sexual predators accountable.”
“Joseph Garofalo, an assistant high school coach, exploited more than 30 minors by blackmailing them into sending multiple sexually explicit photos and videos through social media threads,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “Garofalo, entrusted with the care and development of young teenagers, violated this trust when he victimized these children to fulfill his perverted wants. The FBI will continue to hold accountable those who manipulate their positions of authority to target vulnerable victims.”
According to court filings, while working as an assistant lacrosse coach at a local Long Island high school, Garofalo used social media platforms to have sexually explicit conversations with minors. He threatened to share nude photos and videos unless his victims sent more explicit material or images involving their friends—a practice commonly known as “sextortion.” For example, he told one minor that unless they provided naked photos of friends, he would not delete existing images he had obtained from them. Additionally, Garofalo regularly uploaded child sex abuse material (CSAM) online.
On April 18, 2025, agents from the FBI executed a search warrant at Garofalo’s residence. During an interview that day, Garofalo admitted controlling a social media account used for soliciting CSAM from minors and acknowledged possessing such material on his electronic devices. The investigation led authorities to seize electronic devices containing evidence related to about 30 minor victims.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006—to combat child sexual exploitation online by coordinating federal resources with state and local agencies for locating offenders and rescuing victims.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York supports community outreach programs and victim assistance efforts across Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau County and Suffolk County through its offices in Brooklyn and Central Islip (official website). This office serves as the designated federal prosecutor's office for these areas—handling both criminal prosecutions and civil matters—and provides support services for witnesses as well (official website).
Anyone with information about sexual exploitation by Garofalo is encouraged to contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or call 212-384-1000.
The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Adam R. Toporovsky from the Criminal Section of the Long Island Division with assistance from paralegal specialist Janelle Robinson.
Garofalo is 21 years old and resides in Valley Stream, New York.
