Buffalo, NY (WBEN) An undercover investigation by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, Cheektowaga Police Department, Town of Hamburg Police Department and the New York State Police results in seven arrests. The seven are accused of trying to sexually exploit children through various social media applications.
Howard Stives, Jr., 47, of Westport (pictured above) was arraigned before Cheektowaga Town Court Justice Paul S. Piotrowski on one count of Attempted Criminal Sexual Act in the Second Degree and one count of Attempted Disseminating Indecent Material to Minors in the First Degree, both Class “E” felonies. It is alleged that on September 27, 2019, at approximately 8:23 p.m., the defendant, a Level 3 sex offender, traveled to a location in the Town of Cheektowaga to attempt to engage in sexual conduct with a person whom he believed to be a 14-year-old male.
“I want the residents of Erie County to know that my office, along with our federal, state and local partners in law enforcement, is committed to protecting our children. We will continue to work to identify these predators and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn. “I also want encourage parents to be vigilant about the dangers of adults illegally soliciting children on the internet and to monitor communications received by their children on social media.”
No return court dates are available at this time as the criminal cases against these defendants are pending.