Jose Quizhpi, 48 of Queens, New York was indicted by a Rockland County Grand Jury on eight counts of Attempted Disseminating Indecent Material to Minors in the First Degree, two counts of Attempted Rape in the Third Degree and one count of Attempted Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
On or about and between November 5, 2024, and November 17, 2024, the defendant exchanged numerous text messages, photographs, and videos, which were sexually explicit in nature, with a female child who he met online and whom he believed to be 15 years old.
In fact, the defendant was communicating with an undercover investigator from the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office who was posing as a 15-year-old girl. Quizhpi planned to meet with the 15-year-old girl to engage in sexual acts with her at a movie theater in The Town of Clarkstown.
When Quizhpi arrived at the theater, he was apprehended.
Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II said, “As alleged, the defendant in this case knowingly engaged in sexually explicit conversations and tried to meet with an individual whom he believed to be a fifteen-year-old girl. Protecting innocent children from sexual predators who are using the internet to exploit them is a top priority for my Office and Office of the District Attorney, County of Rockland, these actions will not be tolerated. I want to stress to parents the importance of speaking with their children about the dangers of the internet, and that they should never share personal information online or engage with a stranger. We will continue to work with our partners on the local, state, and federal level to protect the innocent children of Rockland County. “
The case is being prosecuted by Supervising Assistant District Attorney Gerard M. Damiani III and Senior Assistant District Attorney Joseph Santangelo.
Authorities remind the public that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.