NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A 65-year-old Queens pastor was arrested on Wednesday for receiving and distributing child pornography, officials announced.
Francis Hughes, who lives in Queens' Glendale neighborhood, is charged with one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography via text from a 15-year-old male in Westchester County, "with whom Hughes was engaging in sexually explicit text communications," the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said. (The complete complaint is below; warning: it contains graphic details)
The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Hughes' workplace in Queens was not identified, other than it was a "religious institution."
"The allegations against Francis Hughes are chilling and frightening to any parent," acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said. "A person who, by the nature of his profession, is presumed to be trustworthy allegedly victimized a child. Thanks to the FBI, Hughes now faces a serious federal charge."
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said, "We expect adults, especially those in positions of trust like Francis Hughes, to protect our children, not victimize them. Sadly, these allegations demonstrate there are still predators out there who abuse this trust. If you or anyone you know may have been a victim of Rev. Hughes, we are asking you contact us at 1-800-CALL-FBI."
