L.I. Boy Scouts Leader Arrested On Child Porn Charges
MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Long Island Boy Scouts leader has been arrested on child pornography charges.
Edward Orenchuk III of Garden City has been charged with three counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child as a sexually motivated felony and three counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced Thursday.
The 23-year-old faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
Investigators determined Orenchuk had made multiple images of child pornography available for download by other people over the Internet, Rice said.
While investigators searched his home on Wednesday, Orenchuk implicated himself by indicating that he had hundreds of images of children as young as 5 on his computer, Rice said.
CBS 2 obtained court documents in Ornechuk's own handwriting that read: "I know what I did by downloading child porn was so, so wrong. I can now only seek forgiveness from God, do my penance and hope for forgiveness."
He told police he "will never do it again," "didn't know I was sharing" and needs "professional help."
Upon hearing the news, neighbors were aghast.
"It is very disturbing," one neighbor told CBS 2's Jennifer McLogan.
"We don't need people like this around here because we got too many little kids here," another resident said.
Orenchuk was an assistant scout master for Troop 243 in Garden City and works as a page at the Garden City Public Library, Rice said. He also worked at a Michaels craft store.
"This defendant's regular contact with children in a position of authority makes these charges that much more disturbing," Rice said. "My office is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who traffic in this horrific material."
The Boy Scouts of America said Orenchuk was dropped from the organization once they learned of the charges.
"We were shocked to learn about the allegations against an individual affiliated with our troop," the organization said in a statement. "The behavior included in these allegations runs counter to everything for which the Boy Scouts of America stands."
"The BSA has a comprehensive youth protection program, which includes education, chartered organization, leader selection procedures, criminal background and other checks, barriers to abuse and prompt mandatory reporting," the organization said.
Orenchuk was arraigned Thursday at First District Court in Hempstead and was being held on $400,000 bond or $100,000 cash.
His father said he hopes to put his home up as collateral, CBS 2's McLogan reported.
Orenchuk is due back in court on Dec. 17.
Share your thoughts in the comments section below...
