In September 2021 the Penn Yan Police Department was informed that a minor under the age of 17 had received sexually explicit photos via a social media app.
Police launched an investigation and obtained a search warrant for the social media account in question.
This led them to Dale R. Willsey, 43, of Albany, as a suspect in the case. Willsey admitted to sending the explicit photos when interviewed by investigators.
Further search warrants were executed at Willsey’s home in Albany, leading to the seizure of multiple computers and a cell phone.
He has been charged with Disseminating Indecent Material to a Minor 2nd and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and will appear in the Village of Penn Yan Court at a later date.
The investigation is ongoing to determine if there are any other victims outside of the Village of Penn Yan.
The Penn Yan Police Department would like to remind parents to be aware of their children’s social media use and to talk to them about online dangers. The department was assisted in the investigation by the New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit and the New York State Intelligence Center.
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