28 JANUARY 20, 2022 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Forest Hills man charged with transporting
13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
A Forest Hills man was arrested by the FBI Thursday,
Jan. 13, and charged in Brooklyn federal
court with transporting a 13-year-old boy to
engage in sexual activity.
Manuel Moretti, 39, was arraigned on a six-count
indictment charging him with Mann Act crimes stemming
from the coercion of the 13-year-old to engage
in sexual activity with him on at least four occasions.
Moretti was arraigned Jan. 13 before U.S. Magistrate
Judge Vera M. Scanlon, who ordered him detained as
both a danger to the community and a fl ight risk.
According to the indictment and court filings,
Moretti met the 13-year-old boy on a social networking
site last January and arranged for the child to
travel across state lines to his Forest Hills residence on
several occasions over a four-month period between
January and April 2021 for the purpose of engaging in
sexual activity. Moretti also provided the child with a
fraudulent identifi cation document to facilitate future
sexual encounters with the child.
“As alleged, for several months last year, Moretti
used diff erent social media platforms to lure a 13-yearold
child across state lines for the purpose of repeatedly
engaging in sexual activity,” U.S. Attorney Breon
Peace said. “These allegations serve as a reminder of
the dangers to our children from online predators and
the importance of being aware of whom our children
are communicating with online. Our offi ce is deeply
committed to protecting vulnerable victims from
sexual exploitation and will vigorously prosecute offenders
like Moretti, who allegedly prey on children.”
The FBI conducted a voluntary interview with
Moretti in December 2021, during which he admitted
to meeting the victim and engaging in sexual acts with
him.
He described the victim as young-looking and
acknowledged that he knew the minor was in school
and lived at home with his parents, although he denied
knowing the child was just 13 years old. Moretti then
contacted the child again, this time via the social media
site Snapchat for the purpose of engaging in sexual
activity, according to court documents.
During that exchange, Moretti admitted that he
knew the minor was just 13 years old and again
requested to meet. He also suggested the child begin
to contact him using a blocked telephone number,
in an apparent attempt to subvert detection by law
enforcement.
“Cyberspace may not seem real to some children,
or even parents, but it poses a real danger as we
allege in this investigation,” FBI Assistant Directorin
Charge Michael J Driscoll,of the New York Field
Offi ce, said. “Unfortunately, we can’t stop these
crimes from happening because the internet allows
sexual predators direct access to victims. We’re
asking parents to start a conversation with their
children about being safe online. The FBI Crimes
Against Children and Human Traffi cking Task Force
believes Mr. Moretti may have victimized others
and we’re asking anyone with information to call
us at 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
If convicted of all counts, Moretti faces a mandatory
minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.
Forest Hills resident Manuel Moretti was
arrested by federal agents Jan. 13 and charged
with transporting a 13-year-old boy across
state lines for the purpose of sex
Photo courtesy of FBI
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