New Hartford Man Had Sex With 1 Teen, Took Explicit Images of 2 Others: Cops

Federal authorities have arrested a 31-year-old New Hartford man accused of having sex with a 15-year-old girl and taking explicit photos and videos of two other teens.

Daniel Jesse Conrad, 31, of New Hartford, is facing federal charges of production and possession of child pornography and enticing minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct.

He was arrested in August 2014 on charges of second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor. Court records show Conrad has pleaded not guilty to both.

According to federal authorities, Conrad met one 15-year-old Connecticut girl through the online video chatting service Omegle in February 2014.

They then took their conversation to the messaging app Kik and finally met in person in March 2014, when Conrad drove the teen to Massachusetts and engaged in sexual activity with her, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Federal officials said Conrad had sex with the teen on several occasions between March and June 2014 at his home in New Hartford. He used his iPhone to take pictures of her during the encounters, according to authorities.

Conrad also allegedly "persuaded and enticed" the teen to take sexually explicit photos of herself and send them to him.

During the investigation into Conrad, federal officials found more than 40 recorded video chat sessions between Conrad and another 15-year-old girl, which show the teen engaging in sexual activity, according to the Justice Department.

A search of his iPhone revealed explicit photos of a third, unidentified girl who officials say appears to be underage.

Conrad turned himself in Wednesday and appeared before a judge in federal court in New Haven. He was released on $25,000 bond and electric monitoring.

If convicted, Conrad could face anywhere from 15 to 30 years in prison for producing child pornography, along with 10 years to life in prison for enticing a minor and up to 10 years for possessing child pornography, according to the Justice Department.

It's not clear if he has an attorney.

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