Former NYPD cop convicted of using position to sexually abuse and exploit underage boys

A federal jury needed just a few hours to convict a former NYPD cop of sexually explicit online chats with a teenage robbery victim, buying a house in Texas to be near a boy he sexually abused, and molesting a 15-year-old boy. former family friend and other sexual crimes targeting children.

Christopher Terranova, 34, of Staten Island, faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years to life in prison upon his conviction following a five-day trial on charges of initiating inappropriate relations with four underage boys, two of whom he met in his official capacity as an NYPD officer. he was charged with child sexual abuse and coercion and seduction of a minor.

He chatted with them on the phone and on social media, and in two cases engaged in “hands-on sexual activities” with the boys, according to a filing filed by prosecutors.

The former cop has denied the accusations and claimed one of the four victims lied about the alleged abuse to gain influence with her 45,000 followers on TikTok.

Terranova, who joined the NYPD in 2011, first began investigating after reaching out to one of the 15-year-olds who came to the 121st Precinct station in Staten Island in March 2023 to report that he was the victim. from a robbery.

Police used the NYPD database to find the teen’s cell phone number and texted him: “Hey… Chris Terranova, the cop you met with my mom that day at 121, I just wanted to reach out to see if you were okay after the incident. I hope you’re okay with these events as you are.” I hate it when it happens to guys.”

Terranova asked the teen about the robbery investigation and then asked if the teen would be interested in NYPD youth programs.

From there, he sought to connect with the boy through Instagram and Snapchat, and his messages on Snapchat turned sexual, culminating in him sending the teen a photo of his penis.

The feds said the teen told his mother, who briefly pretended to be her son on Snapchat, that Terranova was making him uncomfortable. The mother and teenager then went to the police, which led to an undercover officer taking over the child’s Snapchat account to continue talking to Terranova.

Terranova was arrested on state charges in May 2023, and the case against him snowballed from there, leading to more allegations and federal charges last December.

Terranova was suspended from the NYPD following his arrest and left the force in September 2023.

Investigators learned about the Texas victim after Terranova’s initial arrest, when they found a trove of photos and other evidence of the victim in a locked safe at the former cop’s home.

He met the boy through social media in late 2019, when the teen was 15, and chatted with him about sex acts via text messages, Snapchat and FaceTime, according to the feds. Terranova and the teen met several times for sex in Texas, and the former lawman even bought a second home minutes away from where the teen lived, according to prosecutors.

“One of the reasons (the youth) trusted the defendant was because the defendant said (the youth) was a police officer,” prosecutors said in the federal court filing.

In 2022, Terranova targeted another victim, a 15-year-old family friend, connecting with her through social media and forcing the boy to perform oral sex on him after picking up the teenager from a birthday party.

The fourth victim was 12 years old when she met Terranova in late 2022, the feds allege. The police were on duty at a football field where the teenage boy was playing youth football. He spent months communicating with the boy, asking questions about masturbation and asking the teen to send him pictures of penises.

Terranova’s attorney, Vinoo Varghese, meanwhile, said in court documents that John Doe No. He portrayed the family friend, identified as 2, as a clout-seeking liar who accused an NYPD officer of gaining a following on social media.

According to a filing Varghese filed with the court, the teen posted screenshots of Snapchat messages from Terranova and recorded a police video of his arrest; where the teenager improvised lyrics about pedophilia and sang along to Culture Club’s song “Karma Chameleon”.

Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said: “We hope that today’s verdict will assist victims on the road to recovery with the knowledge that the defendant has been brought to justice for his crimes.”