Ex-NYC probation official living in Lehigh Valley gets 13 years for child porn
A former New York City probation official from Bethlehem Township arrested after police found child pornography on a work-issued smartphone was sentenced Monday to nearly 13 years in federal prison, prosecutors said.
U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Leeson sentenced Robert Costello, 54, of the 3200 block of Highfield Drive, to 12 years and seven months in prison followed by lifetime supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia said.
Costello pleaded guilty in March to five counts related to receiving, accessing and possessing child pornography. He admitted downloading images depicting the sexual abuse of children from the internet and storing them on several devices including a smartphone issued by the New York City probation department, where he worked as an assistant commissioner, court records say.
“The defendant held a position of public trust paid by taxpayer dollars,” U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said. “And at the same time, he was also downloading and storing sexually exploitative images of children — thus creating demand for those depictions to be produced and children to be victimized. Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in all jurisdictions to investigate and prosecute child sexual exploitation offenses — no matter what profession or status the offenders may hold.”
Brian A. Michael, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Philadelphia, said Costello’s crimes were reprehensible given his employment in a position of public trust.
Federal public defender Maria Antoinette Pedraza represented Costello. She did not return a call seeking comment.
A spokesperson for the New York City Department of Probation in February said
Costello, who did not interact with people under probation as part of his job, was terminated last year when the department learned of the charges. He was initially charged in October 2020 in Northampton County Court.
According to court documents filed in Northampton County Court, the Department of Homeland Security in Philadelphia received a tip in September regarding an individual chatting about the abuse of children on a messaging app. The messages were traced to an internet address associated with Costello’s home.
A Bethlehem Township police officer and a Homeland Security special agent interviewed Costello at his home Oct. 15 and he acknowledged his activity on the messaging app. Costello provided consent to search his electronic devices and about 25 images depicting the sexual abuse of children were found on his work-issued phone, according to an affidavit.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francis A. Weber and Kelly Harrell and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Jessica Urban of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.