An upstate New York man has been arrested for allegedly raping an 8-year-old child and sharing explicit videos of the victim online, state police said Friday.
Denzel M. Williams, 25, of East Syracuse, is accused of engaging in sexual acts with the child and uploading child sexual abuse material to the internet, according to Trooper Jennifer Jiron, a spokesperson for the New York State Police.
Troopers first became aware of the allegations on Tuesday, after receiving a tip about a sexual abuse video involving the child that had been posted online.
A subsequent investigation identified Williams as the abuser, Jiron said, adding that he was known to the victim’s family.
Investigators also determined the abuse had occurred at a home in East Syracuse. After executing a search warrant at the residence, troopers found that Williams had shared sexually explicit videos of the child through social media apps, Syracuse.com reported.
Williams was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts each of rape, use of a child in a sexual performance and promoting a sexual performance by a child.
He was processed at the North Syracuse State Police barracks before being transported to Onondaga County for arraignment, Jiron said.
Williams is currently being held in the Onondaga County Justice Center. His bail was set at $500,000 bond or $100,000 cash, according to online jail records.
