Bradley Schioppa, 18, of Bay Shore, was indicted for Rape in the First Degree on Wednesday, June 11th. He is charged with sexually abusing two 11-year-old boys he met over the social media platform Snapchat.
“This defendant is accused of committing horrific acts against two innocent children,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said. “These charges reflect the seriousness of the alleged conduct.
Protecting our most vulnerable residents, especially children, remains my highest priority. We will pursue this case with the full force of the law to deliver the justice these children deserve.”
Per the investigation, a Snapchat group chat was created among several 11-year-old boys from the Smithtown area. Utilizing the username tag “paxonhotsg5,” Schioppa was also added—the rest none-the-wiser to the fact this was not another child around their age, but a predator.
Schioppa next began to show up at locations where the rest of the group would plan to meet. The boys realized he was older, and the defendant would allegedly drive them around in his car, buy them snacks and drinks and instigate prank games.
He is accused of sexually abusing one 11-year-old boy in the bathroom of Robert A. Brady Park near Maple Ave., and another 11-year-old boy in the bathroom of a CVS up the road.
In both instances, he framed the abuse he performed as dare-based “pranks” the boys would be compensated for if they complied.
In May, the mother of one of the victims discovered messages between Schioppa and her son. When the sexual abuse was disclosed, a police investigation followed.
Schioppa was formally arrested on May 21st, and arraigned this week for the following felonies: three counts of Rape in the First Degree (Class B, violent) and two counts of Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree (Class D, violent).
The defendant was also hit with a Class A misdemeanor: Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
Schioppa is due back in court on July 8th. He faces 25 years in prison for his heinous crimes against young children, if found guilty.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office asks all those who may have communicated with Schioppa over Snapchat to contact them at (631) 852-2555 or the Suffolk County Police Department Special Victims Section at (631) 852-6531.