Oneida County Child Advocacy Center

According to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office(OCSO) Chief Deputy Derrick O'Meara, who is the Director of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center(CAC), a City of Utica Man was arrested by members of the CAC on November 29, 2023.
On November 28, 2023, the CAC received a report that a 15-year-old female had been s*xually assaulted.

OCSO Investigator Nicholas Dean was assigned to the case and the investigation revealed that over a period of months Gilbert Torres, age 54, subjected the victim to repeated s*xual contact.

Torres was located in the evening hours of November 29, 2023, in the City of Utica by Investigator Dean and Investigator Ryan Kelly of the Utica Police Department. Torres was arrested and charged with one count of Forcible Touching, a Class A Misdemeanor, and one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, also a Class A Misdemeanor.

Torres was arraigned in Oneida County CAP Court and was remanded to the Oneida County Jail in lieu of $5000 Bail. Additionally, Torres, who is a NYS Parolee, was remanded on a parole violation and held without bail.

An order of protection was issued on behalf of the victim. Services have been offered to the victim by the CAC. Investigator Dean was assisted by Oneida County Child Protective Services, NYS Parole, and members of the Utica Police Department Patrol Division.

According to Oneida County Sheriff’s Office(OCSO) Chief Deputy Derrick O’Meara, who is the Director of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center(CAC), a Utica man was arrested by members of the CAC on 11/10/23.

On 11/10/23 at 11:20 A.M., the Oneida County 911 Center received a 911 call from a 15 year old female child, who called from a residence in the City of Utica, to report that she had been s*xually assaulted. The Utica Police Department responded to the residence and conducted the initial investigation which, due to the age of the victim, was subsequently turned over to the Child Advocacy Center for further investigation and specifically assigned to OCSO Sergeant Melissa Bolton.

Through further investigation, it was learned that on 11/10/23, 38 year old, Raynaldo Ramos Jr., had provided the 15 year old female with ma*****na and then subjected her to s*xual contact. Ramos Jr. was located in the City of Utica in the evening hours of 11/10/23 by Sgt. Bolton and OCSO Investigator Nicholas Dean and was arrested and charged with on one count of S*xual Abuse in the Third Degree, a Class B Misdemeanor and two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Class A Misdemeanors.

Ramos Jr. was arraigned in Oneida County CAP Court on 11/10/23 and subsequently released on his own recognizance.

An order of protection was issued on behalf of the victim by the court. Services have been offered to the victim by the CAC. Sgt. Bolton was assisted with this investigation by Oneida County Child Protective Services.

According to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Derrick O’Meara, who is the Director of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center, a 22-year-old Town of Marshall man has been arrested for having s*xual contact with an underage female child.

The investigation began on August 31, 2023, when members of the Child Advocacy Center were notified that the suspect in this case had unwanted s*xual contact with an underage female child. The case was assigned to Sheriff’s Office Investigator Mark R. Chrysler.

Investigator Chrysler’s investigation revealed that the incident occurred in 2019 when the suspect was 17, and the female child victim was 15 years old. The suspect had allegedly subjected the child to s*xual contact and did not stop when the victim told him to stop.

On October 25, 2023, the suspect surrendered himself to Investigator Chrysler and Sheriff’s Office Investigator Tyler Barnes, at which time he was charged with R**e in the third degree, a Class E Felony.

The suspect was arraigned in Oneida County CAP Court and he was released in his own recognizance.

Services have been offered to the victim by the Child Advocacy Center and an order of protection has been issued on behalf of the child.

As a result of the NYS Raise the Age Laws, the name and photo of the 22 year old will not be released due to his age at the time of the incident.

Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Derrick O’Meara, who is the Director of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center, announces the arrest of a Level 2 Registered S*x Offender. On October 5, 2023 Steven Velardi, age 53 of the Town of Floyd, was arrested by OCSO Sgt. Melissa Bolton for one count of Failure to Register Internet Accounts/Internet Access Provider, which is a Class E Felony under the NYS Corrections Law. Velardi was released on an appearance ticket, which was made returnable to Whitestown Court at a later date. The arrest was the result of an investigation commenced by Sgt. Bolton in June of 2023, where it was learned that Velardi had failed to register his internet accounts/internet service provider with the NYS Department of Criminal Justice Services, as required under the NYS Corrections Law and S*x Offender Registry Act as a NYS registered s*x offender.

Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Derrick O’Meara, who is the Director of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center, announces the arrest of Steven Johnson, age 39, of Madison County, New York.

Johnson, who is a New York State, Level 1 registered s*x offender, was arrested by OCSO Sgt. Melissa Bolton and OCSO Inv. Mark Chrysler on 8/10/23, for failing to meet his obligations as a registered s*x offender under the S*x Offender Registry Act(SORA). Under SORA, registered s*x offenders are required to notify the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services of any change of address within ten days of their move. Upon the conclusion of the investigation conducted by Sgt. Bolton, it was determined that Johnson had failed to register his change of address from Oneida County to his new address within Madison County within the required time frame.

Johnson was charged with one count of Failure to Register Change of Address, a Class E Felony, under the NYS Corrections Law and issued an appearance ticket made returnable to Whitestown Court at a later date.

According to Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Derrick O’Meara, who is the Director of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center, a Utica man was arrested by members of the Child Advocacy Center on May 31, 2023.

The investigation was commenced by OCSO Sergeant Melissa Bolton on May 30, 2023, after a report was made directly to the Child Advocacy Center on that date.

As a result of the investigation, it was found that in the early hours of May 30, 2023, 31 year old Fabian Troutman, had sent a s*xually explicit text message to a female child, whom he knew was less than 17 years of age. Troutman was located at his residence by Sgt. M. Bolton and OCSO Investigator Mark Chrysler as well as by members of the NYS Division of Parole.

Troutman was arrested and charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A Misdemeanor. Troutman was arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Court, where bail was set in the amount of $1.

Troutman was subsequently held without bail on a parole violation warrant.

An order of protection was issued on behalf of the victim, who has also been offered services by the Child Advocacy Center.

Troutman will appear in Vernon Town Court at a later date in regards to the charge of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

According to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Derrick O'Meara, who is the Director of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center, a Town of New Hartford man has been arrested for having s*xual contact with an underage female child.

The investigation began on May 12, 2023, when the Child Advocacy Center was notified that an adult male had subjected a 16-year-old female child to s*xual contact. The case was assigned to Sheriff’s Investigator Tyler R. Barnes.

Investigator Barnes’ investigation revealed that 49 year-old Joseph R. Steele had subjected the child to s*xual contact earlier in the week.

Investigator Barnes, along with Sheriff’s Investigator Mark R. Chrysler, located Steele at his residence and arrested him on one count of R**e in the 3rd Degree, a Class E Felony.

After the arrest, Steele was transported to the Sheriff’s Office where he was processed. After processing, Steele was taken to the Sheriff’s Correctional Facility where he was arraigned at CAP Court and held on $15,000 cash bail or $30,000 bond.

Services have been offered to the victim and an order of protection was issued on behalf of the child.

Members of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Utica NY Chapter #944, presented a donation of stuffed Teddy Bears to the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center today.

These Teddy Bears will be given to children to comfort them while they are being served at the CAC.

Many Thanks to VVA Chapter #944 President, Thomas Buono, Sam Falvo, Leo Griffin, Dennis Breheny, Arnold Furney, Larry Badger, and all of the membership of the VVA Chapter #944 for this generous and thoughtful donation.

According to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Derrick O'Meara, who is the Director of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center, a Vienna woman has been arrested after the conclusion of a s*x abuse investigation.

The investigation began when members of the Child Advocacy Center were notified that a 12-year-old female child had been subjected to s*xual contact by Jeremy Belden, age 40, of Vienna. The case was assigned to Sheriff’s Investigator Mark R. Chrysler. Belden was subsequently sentenced to 14 years in state prison.

Investigator Chrysler’s investigation further revealed that Belden’s live-in girlfriend, Carrie Renk, age 40, also of Vienna, had facilitated the s*xual contact with the child.

On May 1, 2023, Investigator Chrysler and Sheriff’s Investigator Tyler Barnes arrested Renk at her residence.

Renk was transported to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office where she was processed and charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, which is a Class A Misdemeanor. After processing, Renk was taken to the Sheriff’s Correctional Facility where she was later arraigned at CAP Court and released on her own recognizance. Renk will appear in Vienna Court at a later date. Services have been offered to the victim and an order of protection was issued on behalf of the child.

Lee man who s*xually abused 4 children faces life in prison A Lee man was found guilty Friday of s*xually abusing four children over the past five years.

According to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Derrick O'Meara, who is the Director of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center, a Utica man has been arrested for possessing s*xual content on his cellular telephone.

The investigation began after the social media platform SnapChat had alerted the Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user in Utica had uploaded what appeared to be child po*******hy. The Center for Missing and Exploited Children then notified the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Albany, NY, who in turn notified the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center. The case was assigned to Sheriff’s Investigator Mark R. Chrysler.

Investigator Chrysler’s investigation led him to interviewing Armin Nukica, age 36, of Utica, and eventually executing a search warrant on his cellular telephone. After the ex*****on of the search warrant, it was found that Nukica was in possession of s*xual material of two unidentified female children.

On March 24, 2023, Investigator Chrysler and Utica Police Investigator Ryan Kelly arrested Nukica for two counts of Possessing a S*xual Performance of a Child, which are Class E Felonies.

After processing, Nukica was issued an appearance ticket returnable to Utica City Court in April.

According to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Derrick O'Meara, who is the Director of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center, 20-year-old Michael Hamilton of Rome, has been arrested for having s*xual contact with a 14-year-old female child in the City of Rome in May of 2022.

Rome Police Detective Alex Sypniewski who is assigned to the Child Advocacy Center, conducted the investigation in July of this year.

Subsequent to the indictment by the Oneida County Grand Jury, on January 06, 2023, Hamilton was arrested by the Oneida County Sherriff’s Office Warrants Unit/ U.S. Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force and the Rome Police Department. Hamilton was charged with one count of R**e in the 2nd Degree, a Class D Felony.

After processing, Hamilton was taken to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Correctional Facility where he was arraigned and remanded to the facility without bail.

An Order of Protection has been issued on behalf of the victim and services have been offered to the child through the Child Advocacy Center.