New York Man Pleads Guilty to Exploiting Minors Through Social Media, Including Connecticut Victim
A disturbing case involving social media exploitation has come to a head in federal court, as 27-year-old James Pagliaro of Middletown, New York, has pleaded guilty to a series of federal charges tied to the sexual exploitation of minors across multiple states - and even internationally.
Pagliaro entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Kari A.
Dooley in Bridgeport, admitting guilt to three major offenses: receipt of child pornography, enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, and traveling to engage in sexual activity with a minor. These charges carry serious weight, with potential penalties ranging from five years to life in prison.
The investigation, led by multiple law enforcement agencies, uncovered alarming details about how Pagliaro used popular platforms like TikTok and Snapchat to target underage victims. According to court records, the case began unfolding in October 2024, when Pagliaro initiated contact with a 15-year-old girl from Connecticut through TikTok. By December, the girl had disclosed her age to him, and the two began exchanging text messages.
The situation escalated quickly. In January 2025, Pagliaro reportedly traveled to Connecticut on at least three occasions to engage in sexual activity with the teen. A forensic analysis of the girl's iPhone in February 2025 revealed the extent of the abuse: hundreds of explicit images and videos of the minor, more than 11,000 text messages, and over 300 iOS and FaceTime calls between the two.
Court documents further detail that Pagliaro instructed the girl to perform specific sex acts, including acts described as sadistic and masochistic. He also encouraged her to recruit another minor for similar abuse - a chilling indication of his intent to expand his exploitation beyond a single victim.
Unfortunately, the Connecticut case wasn’t isolated. The investigation revealed that Pagliaro had also been exchanging explicit content with other underage girls, including a 15-year-old in the United Kingdom, a 15-year-old in New Jersey, and a 16-year-old in Florida. Authorities said he initiated contact with thousands of minors on TikTok and Snapchat, using the platforms to cast a wide net in search of potential victims.
One particularly alarming statistic emerged from March 2025 alone: Pagliaro sent messages - many of them sexually explicit - to roughly 600 Snapchat users who appeared to be minors. Of those, at least 68 received explicit images of him.
Pagliaro has been in custody since his arrest on March 19, 2025. His sentencing is scheduled for May 8.
The case was the result of a joint investigation involving Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) offices in New England and New York, the Orange County (NY) Sheriff’s Office, and police departments in Danbury, Ridgefield, and Watertown.
This case underscores the real dangers that can lurk on social media platforms and the importance of vigilance - both from law enforcement and from families - in protecting minors from online predators.