A Long Island grand jury has indicted an 18-year-old man for sexually abusing a pair of 11-year-old boys he met on Snapchat.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney stated that Bradley Schioppa had deceived the boys by portraying himself as their age when joining their Snapchat group in April. However, they began to realize he was older when he started appearing at their meeting locations.
Schioppa drove them around in his car, gave them snacks, and helped them play pranks, the DA’s office said.
Allegedly, he sexually assaulted one of the boys in a park bathroom and the other in a drugstore bathroom. He reportedly presented the abuse as a prank or dare that they would be compensated for. The situation came to light in May when one of the boys’ mothers discovered messages between Schioppa and her son and confronted him about it.
Following his arrest on May 21, Schioppa was arraigned after the indictment on Tuesday. He now faces charges of three counts of rape, two counts of sexual abuse, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
“This defendant is accused of committing horrific acts against two innocent children,” said Tierney. “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.”
Schioppa is being held on a $450,000 cash bond, $900,000 bond, or $4.5 million partially secured bond and is due back in court on July 8.
The district attorney’s office asked anyone who believes their child may have communicated with Schioppa via his Snapchat account — “paxonhotsg5” — to contact them at 631-852-2555 or the Suffolk County Police Department Special Victims Section at 631-852-6531.
