GUILTY Mount Pleasant Chief Arraigned on Child Porn Charge

[BunnyHop]

Update, Jan. 23, 5:12 p.m.
Chief Brian Fanelli of the Mount Pleasant Police Department posted $50,000 bail in federal court on Thursday after he was arrested in his Mahopac home at 11:30 a.m., officials said.

Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith presided over Fanelli's child pornography case in the United States District Court this afternoon and ordered him to remain "on home detention" with an electronic monitor. He is only allowed to leave his home for work,(!!) meetings related to his case and medical appointments.

According to federal prosectors who appeared in court today, Fanelli was found with multiple pieces of child pornographic images and videos in his home—ranging from electronic images downloaded from the internet to videotapes, books and magazines.

http://yorktown-somers.patch.com/gr...ted-for-child-porn-collection-report_c50c663a

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/northern_suburbs&id=9404742

http://pix11.com/2014/01/23/mount-p...sted-for-child-porn-possession/#axzz2rFYckvUO

 

[BunnyHop]

Mount Pleasant's new police chief had 126 pornographic images of pre-teen girls, complaint says
Chief was computer whiz, advocated against sexual abuse

http://www.lohud.com/article/201401...n-charges?odyssey=mod|breaking|text|Frontpage

Police chief of suburban New York town taken into custody on child porn charges: officials
Brian Fanelli, who became the head of Mount Pleasant's police force three months ago, was arrested at his Mahopac home Thursday morning, officials said.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/cri...-porn-charges-article-1.1589040#ixzz2rGRZWSAV

 

[BunnyHop]

Members of the U.S. Homeland Security Special Investigations made the arrest, claiming that the Mount Pleasant top cop was “trafficking in child pornography,” town Supervisor Joan Maybury said.
“It’s very disturbing,” Maybury told the Daily News. “We’re in complete shock. You would never think you would hear this type of news about a co-worker. He’s been a respected member of the police department for 22 years.”
Fanelli has been with Mount Pleasant police force — located in Westchester County — since 1981. He was immediately suspended from duty upon his arrest, Maybury said.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/cri...-porn-charges-article-1.1589040#ixzz2rGSQTGs1

 

[BunnyHop]

I think he was set up. :twocents:

 

[BunnyHop]

Not one single response..........interesting.

 

[Marg from Oz]

How did they get onto him? Was he caught in one of those snares that they carry out?
If he was set up I could imagine someone putting stuff on his computer but he had books as well. Surely he would have known what books he had in his house. Interesting. Really wondering how they got onto him.

 

[CHERIE.T]

Anyone who is caught with child porn IMOO should NOT be allowed to return to work until a trial and sentence is served. Im not so sure I believe a set up occurred. I will keep up with this and decide soon.

 

[LadyL]

several federal agents (and possibly other police plus the prosecutors office) would have to have conspired for this to be a set-up because they all agreed that the following is true when they arrested and charged him:

Mount Pleasant Police Chief Brian Fanelli, accused Thursday of possessing child pornography, told federal investigators his alleged habit began when he was researching material for school classes he was teaching about the dangers of sexual abuse, according to papers filed in U.S. District Court in White Plains.

“But shortly thereafter (Fanelli) began viewing child pornography for personal interest,” the 10-page complaint says.

 

[LadyL]

I think he was set up. :twocents:

reasons?

 

[BunnyHop]

several federal agents (and possibly other police plus the prosecutors office) would have to have conspired for this to be a set-up because they all agreed that the following is true when they arrested and charged him:

Mount Pleasant Police Chief Brian Fanelli, accused Thursday of possessing child pornography, told federal investigators his alleged habit began when he was researching material for school classes he was teaching about the dangers of sexual abuse, according to papers filed in U.S. District Court in White Plains.

“But shortly thereafter (Fanelli) began viewing child pornography for personal interest,” the 10-page complaint says.

Just a feeling/intuition right now. I will delve deeper as it progresses.

:twocents: He has worked for many years to educate. Feels "political" to me. :moo:

 

[Elley Mae]

Update, Jan. 23, 5:12 p.m.
Chief Brian Fanelli of the Mount Pleasant Police Department posted $50,000 bail in federal court on Thursday after he was arrested in his Mahopac home at 11:30 a.m., officials said.

Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith presided over Fanelli's child pornography case in the United States District Court this afternoon and ordered him to remain "on home detention" with an electronic monitor. He is only allowed to leave his home for work,(!!) meetings related to his case and medical appointments.

According to federal prosectors who appeared in court today, Fanelli was found with multiple pieces of child pornographic images and videos in his home—ranging from electronic images downloaded from the internet to videotapes, books and magazines.

http://yorktown-somers.patch.com/gr...ted-for-child-porn-collection-report_c50c663a

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/northern_suburbs&id=9404742

http://pix11.com/2014/01/23/mount-p...sted-for-child-porn-possession/#axzz2rFYckvUO

bbm, he is still allowed to work?

eta sorry I didn't the next post bunnyhop

 

[BunnyHop]

bbm, he is still allowed to work?

eta sorry I didn't the next post bunnyhop

I am following this story closely as it's local to me.
I think he's been set up. :twocents: :moo:

 

[BunnyHop]

We all view many cases here. We view links, screen cap, and files.
We all research. What would DHS find on your computer? :scared:

My intuition/skepticism suggest he was set up because he was researching.
He got close, and shut down for political reasons. :twocents:


:truce:

 

[Quad]

well, they would NOT find child porn in my computer...

 

[BunnyHop]

well, they would NOT find child porn in my computer...

Mine either, but this was his line of work.
He's been doing this for years. :twocents:

:truce:

 

[popsicle]

The reason for having child porn on the pc, because of research etc, has been used before. Just saying. imo

 

[Gardenlady]

You know, I could see how, being in that line of work especially, he could accidentally end up with an image or two on his computer. It's easy to click on the wrong place, heck you can even download what you think is just legal, adult porn, and end up with something disturbing. That's why there are orgs like the cyber tipline - to report them if you happen to stumble across it, etc.

But it sounds like this guy has basically admitted that he had them to fuel a habit, not for "research purposes" or that he downloaded or viewed them accidentally. They will be able to tell, via number of images/material (is it multiple images? Where was it obtained from? How many hits to certain sites, one-time-only vs many hits, etc), type of material, places he got it from, whether it was there "accidentally" or not. Sounds like this guy has a disturbing problem, not just bad luck. :furious:

 

[john's mom]

Yeah, you'd find a lot of hinky seArches on my pc, 'neck breaking' '
chloroform' 'Household items to kill someone' (thAnks, Casey) but no
You would not find downloaded child porn. There wS an assemblyman
In Union County NJ with child porn on his COUNTY computer a few years
ago...he went to jail.

 

[Hejlena]

I think he was set up. :twocents:

He admitted to it. How could it be a set up? Not necessary to make excuses for an animal.

 

[BunnyHop]

Report: Mahopac's Fanelli Suicidal Following Child Porn Charge
Following his arrest and court appearance on Thursday, Jan. 23, Mount Pleasant Police Chief Brian Fanelli was taken to the hospital after police found him in a suicidal state.
http://southeast.patch.com/groups/p...suicidal-following-child-porn-charge_14cef6eb

Mount Pleasant Police Chief Brian Fanelli, who was charged with possessing child porn on Thursday, was admitted to Putnam Hospital Center later that night after police officers found him despondent and suicidal at his Mahopac home.

The episode, confirmed by police sources, is the latest twist in the sudden and swift downfall of Fanelli, who was named chief in November and put into cuffs and suspended with pay from his $135,518-a-year job on Thursday, when federal agents unsealed a 10-page complaint charging the 31-year veteran with possession of child pornography.

http://www.lohud.com/article/201401...ce-chief-snared-child-porn-case-said-suicidal