Long Island University senior Robert Garneau, 21, was arrested in his dorm room Thursday for allegedly stalking young boys on Internet gaming sites and convincing them to take and then send him sexually explicit photos of themselves.
Investigators claim he communicated with three minors online and believe there are more victims. He frequented gaming sites, such as Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto, and went by Raptorr427, Bobbysixx, Allison Denario and Giannafitz81. He also used social media sites, such as Instagram and Kik to lure his victims.
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In one instance, Garneau allegedly posed as Allison Denario and then asked the boys for photos. He would then pose as Allison’s boyfriend and threaten to tell unless the victims masturbated or performed other sex acts on camera.
“Robert Garneau’s alleged crimes are the nightmare of every modern parent,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in a press release. “Using every day social media websites, Garneau allegedly exploited minors for his own sexual gratification. We will continue to work with our partners at Homeland Security Investigations to vigorously investigate and prosecute defendants who sexually exploit children.”
Because there may be more victims of Garneau’s alleged conduct, anyone with additional information is urged to contact Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing-impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.
