Crime & Safety

Cortlandt Sex Abuse Suspect Faces More Charges for Abusing, Filming Underaged Girls

Richard Dinizo, Cortlandt Manor resident and former youth basketball coach, charged with additional counts of sexual exploitation of a child and child pornagrophy in federal court Thursday. State police arrested Dinizo last month for criminal sex acts w

 

A former youth basketball coach charged by state police last month with first-degree criminal sexual act last month was charged with five additional counts of sexually exploitation of a child and child pornography in White Plains federal court Thursday.

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Federal authorities are accusing Richard Dinizo, 58, of Cortlandt Manor, of engaging in sexual activity with five different underage girls, all under the age of 11 when the alleged crimes occurred, and with videotaping the abuse.

“As alleged, Richard Dinizo was a serial pedophile who not only recorded his deviant criminal acts, but shared those videos with others,” said Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. “Sexual exploitation of children is a heinous crime that can scar its victims forever and we will continue to prosecute those crimes aggressively.”

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Federal authorities are accusing Dinizo of engaging in sexual activity with five different minors, all under the age of 11 when the alleged crimes occurred, and with videotaping the sexual abuse.

He is also charged with transporting videos to people outside of New York.

Authorities believe the crimes all took place between 2008 and 2011.

State police investigators arrested Dinizo on March 15  and charged him with first-degree criminal sexual act with another underaged victim. That crime allegedly took place in 2010.

Dinizo was already in Westchester County Jail when the federal indictment was unsealed Thursday morning. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment for the new charges and was sent back to jail, where he remains without bail.

Bharara said Dinizo is alleged to have employed trickery and his victims may not have been aware that they were victims of sexual abuse. Bharara requests that individuals with relevant information and parents whose children may have had any interactions with Dinizo  contact the Department of Homeland Security, in New York, New York, at (646) 313-4380.

A copy of the indictment is attached to this story.


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