New York Man Who Sexually Exploited Minor Girls Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on May 8, 2026, JAMES PAGLIARO, 27, of Middletown, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 600 months of imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release for sexually exploiting minor girls with whom he initiated contact through social media apps.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between April 2024 and March 2025, Pagliaro sent sexually explicit messages, many of which included sexually explicit photographs of himself, to thousands of minor girls on social media applications, including Snapchat and TikTok, in an apparent attempt to ensnare and cultivate child "sex slaves." He successfully coerced at least four girls, including a 15-year-old girl in Connecticut, a 15-year-old girl in the United Kingdom, a 15-year-old girl in New Jersey, and a 16-year-old-girl in Florida, into producing hundreds of sexually explicit images and videos for his sexual gratification. He also traveled to Connecticut at least three times to engage in sexual conduct with the 15-year-old Connecticut victim, whom he forced to engage in sex acts and threatened with violence.

A forensic evaluation of Pagliaro's phone revealed that he exchanged tens of thousands of text messages with his victims, including many messages highlighting their age, and spoke with them on phone and video calls on hundreds of occasions. Pagliaro initially professed his love to his victims, promising them that he would marry them once they turned eighteen, but later threatened them, sending photographs of guns, ammunition and knives and telling the Connecticut victim, for example, that he could murder someone's entire family without having any trouble sleeping at night and that she should "keep that in mind." Pagliaro also forced his victims to create humiliating, degrading, and dangerous videos as punishments for their perceived failures, which included sending explicit videos on the wrong social media platform, and he encouraged at least one victim to commit suicide. He also had the Connecticut victim sign a three-page slavery contract purporting to memorialize her "eternal slavery" to Pagliaro and encouraged her to recruit other minors to engage in sexual conduct with him.

The forensic evaluation of Pagliaro's phone revealed that he also possessed thousands of other videos and images of children in sexually explicit conduct, including videos depicting the sexual exploitation of infants and toddlers.

"This defendant exploited social media apps to cast a wide net to ensnare young girls into committing sexually degrading acts for his own gratification," said U.S. Attorney Sullivan. "When successful, he used grooming techniques and psychological manipulation to coerce, abuse, and terrorize his victims. This prosecution and the Court's imposition of a long prison term should serve as a stark warning for anyone who may use technology to prey upon children. I thank HSI and our local law enforcement partners who investigated this matter, brought justice to his victims, and protected countless others from additional harm."

"Pagliaro is a depraved child predator who has earned every day of his 50-year sentence," said Homeland Security Investigations New England Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Grimming. "He contacted hundreds of children online and successfully ensnared several girls, making them first believe they were in a real, loving relationship before slowly exerting more control, more abuse, and more violence. The victims in this case exhibited extraordinary bravery coming forward despite Pagliaro's threats against them and their families and we hope that this sentence brings some comfort and peace as they move toward healing. HSI remains relentless in its pursuit of justice for survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation."

Pagliaro was arrested on March 19, 2025. On February 13, 2026, he pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, and traveling to engage in sexual activity with a minor. He has been detained since his arrest.

This investigation was conducted by HSI New England, HSI Hudson Valley, the Orange County (N.Y.) Sheriff's Office, and the Danbury, Ridgefield, and Watertown Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit https://www.cybertipline.comLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..