NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – The former assistant commissioner of the New York City department of probation was sentenced to over twelve years for child pornography offenses United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced on Tuesday.
Robert Costello, 54, admitted to receiving sexually explicit images of children over the Internet and possessing thousands of sexually explicit images and videos of children on several devices that he kept and stored at his residence.
Costello was employed as Assistant Commissioner of the New York City Department of Probation when the crimes were committed, prosecutors said.
“The defendant held a position of public trust paid by taxpayer dollars as an Assistant Commissioner with the City of New York,” U.S. Attorney Williams said. “And at the same time, he was also downloading and storing sexually exploitative images of children – thus creating demand for those depictions to be produced and children to be victimized.”
In March 2021, Costello pleaded guilty to three counts of receipt of child pornography, one count of access with intent to view child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
He was sentenced to twelve years and seven months in prison, and lifetime supervised release.
"Sexually exploiting children is a terrible crime, made even more reprehensible when the perpetrator is someone in a position of public trust," said Brian A. Michael, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia, "Robert Costello, as an Assistant Commissioner of New York City’s probation department, violated that trust, and now he will face the consequences."