An Auburn man is facing felony charges after a months-long investigation into allegations he sent explicit messages to a child and sought nude photographs, police said.
Members of the Auburn Police Department’s GIVE Unit arrested Tamel E. Straker, 43, around 9:30 a.m. April 28 on an indictment warrant issued out of Cayuga County Court.
Straker was indicted on charges of disseminating indecent material to minors in the first degree, a Class D felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor.
According to police, the case dates back to May 2025, when the department’s Detective Bureau was assigned a child abuse investigation involving Straker. Authorities said the investigation determined he had sent sexual messages to a child and requested nude images.
The case was presented to a grand jury following an approximately 10-month investigation that included testimony and forensic evidence gathered by the Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office.
Straker was processed at the Auburn Police Department and transported to the Cayuga County Jail, where he is being held pending arraignment.
Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact Auburn police.
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