20-Year-Old Upstate NY Man Charged With Child Exploitation

A 20-year-old Hartwick man is facing felony charges following a child exploitation investigation that began with cyber tips from a national watchdog group.

The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office says Kyle M. Ruiz was arrested March 3 and charged with Promotion of a Sexual Performance by a Child and Obscenity in the Third Degree.

Authorities say the case started after multiple Cyber Tips were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators allege Ruiz used several different usernames to solicit sexual content from other users on various social media platforms.

That investigation led to a search warrant.

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On January 22, members of the Sheriff’s Office, working alongside the New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit, searched Ruiz’s Hartwick residence. Several electronic devices were seized. After those devices were examined, officials say additional evidence was developed that established probable cause for the arrest.

Ruiz later turned himself in to the Sheriff’s Office for processing.

He was transported to the Otsego County Correctional Facility and held pending Centralized Arraignment in the Town of Hartwick Court.

The Sheriff’s Office says the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force assisted in the investigation, along with the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina.

As reported previously, many of these investigations now begin with digital tips forwarded to local law enforcement or through Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers. Authorities say the case remains under investigation.

No additional details have been released at this time.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE:   This post is for informational purposes and is based largely on information received from the Otsego County Sheriff's Office. Regardless of any statements or photographs regarding potential evidence presented or accusations alleged, the reader is reminded that all suspects and/or arrested persons are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. At the time of this posting no additional information is available.]