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Christian Manuel Salazar-Miguel was convicted of two counts of rape in the second degree and two counts of disseminating indecent material to a minor. He was sentenced to four years in state prison; 10 years post-release supervision, and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Salazar-Miguel met his underage victims through social media, eventually leading to sexual intercourse with the 13- and 14-year-old victims he met on Facebook, authorities said.
A joint investigation with the Putnam County Sherriff’s office and the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office led to a search warrant on the defendant’s Facebook page and a review of thousands of posts, Tendy said.
An investigation headed by Putnam County Sheriff’s investigator Shaun Menton and District Attorney’s Investigator Jaemie Caban resulted in the identification and interview of the young victims.
“This case is an unfortunate reminder of how dangerous social media can be and how important it is for parents to monitor their kids’ social media use,” Tendy said. “There are sexual offenders out theregrooming our kids to be victims.
"Education and awareness for the parents and in our schools is vital. This case is another example of why my office will continue to educate our kids while simultaneously prosecuting the offenders. Prevention and prosecution will continue to be my top priority”
Chief Assistant Chana Krauss prosecuted this case and frequently gives talks to students about the dangers of social media.
“ADA Krauss is always available to go to a school and discuss these issues with students, parents, and teachers," Tendy said. "Nobody knows more about this problem than she does, and she can be a great resource.
"School administrators can contact my office at 845-808-1050 if they want to discuss this.
"Sadly, it is a problem that is not going to go away. Vigilance and education are extremely important.”
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