A New York City Police Department officer allegedly sent obscene material to an undercover cop posing as a 14-year-old girl, according to authorities.
Travis DeSouza — a 35-year-old NYPD officer of Briarwood — was charged with attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors in the first degree, official misconduct, obscenity in the third degree, and attempted endangerment of the welfare of a child. If convicted, DeSouza faces up to four years in prison.
‘I should be telling you to stop … but your maturity and the way you act is different.’
DeSouza — who was released without bail Thursday, according to court records — reportedly worked in the Law Enforcement Explorers program at the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn.
The program “provides young men and women from the city’s diverse communities with an introduction to a career in law enforcement or a related field in the criminal justice system.”
“Explorers are taught the importance of higher education, self-discipline, and respect for diversity and human dignity through training, involvement in community service projects, and other Exploring events,” the program description states.
The program is said to employ “positive adult role models,” including “law enforcement officers who help young adults see officers as fellow human beings.”
The program is “geared” toward young people ages 14 to 20.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a Friday statement: “On October 3, 2024, at approximately 5:49 p.m., an undercover officer, posing as a 14-year-old girl, met with DeSouza, who oversaw the program. DeSouza asked for the undercover officer’s age, and she told DeSouza that she was 14. The undercover officer asked DeSouza for his phone number, and he provided it.”
The undercover officer reportedly had conversations with DeSouza on the Snapchat app from Oct. 8 to Oct. 10.
The DA’s office stated, “On October 10, at approximately 10:11 p.m., DeSouza allegedly told the undercover, ‘You something else.’ About a minute later, DeSouza sent the undercover a photo of a man wearing boxer shorts with his hand on his genitals.”
Citing the criminal complaint, the New York Post reported that the undercover agent asked DeSouza on Snapchat: “What’s under those shorts?”
DeSouza reportedly replied, “Something big, maybe more than you can handle.”
DeSouza allegedly set the social media messages to disappear immediately.
The Post noted that DeSouza acknowledged the age difference and allegedly told the undercover cop, “And I don’t know even why you got me thinking things I shouldn’t because of how far we are of age LOL I should be telling you to stop … but your maturity and the way you act is different.”
DeSouza allegedly sent some of the illicit messages from a New York Police Department building in Queens.
DeSouza has been suspended without pay from the NYPD, according to the department.
Katz stated, “As alleged, this defendant took advantage of his position with the NYPD to prey on someone he thought was a 14-year-old who happened to be a police officer on assignment.”
Katz continued, “The Explorers is an amazing program and our kids need to trust and have faith in its leaders. Although he was told that the ‘girl’ was just 14, the defendant allegedly sent explicit content to her. Thank you to our partners in the NYPD for their assistance with this investigation.”
DeSouza is scheduled to return to court on June 11.
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