What to Know
- A New York tutor accused of sexual exploitation of a 7-year-old minor and with transporting child pornography could spend the rest of his life behind bars if found guilty, according to federal agents and prosecutors.
- Mueser was arrested Thursday morning and is expected to be presented in White Plains federal court. Attorney information was not immediately known.
- Mueser worked as a tutor and in other positions at a school, church and a number of camps throughout the years.
A New York tutor accused of sexual exploitation of a 7-year-old minor and with transporting child pornography could spend the rest of his life behind bars if found guilty, according to federal agents and prosecutors.
John Mueser, 69 and of Tuckahoe, is charged with one count of sexual exploitation, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and one count of transportation of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Audrey Strauss and Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) William F. Sweeney Jr. jointly announced Thursday.
Mueser was arrested Thursday morning and is expected to be presented in White Plains federal court. Attorney information was not immediately known.
According to the complaint unsealed in White Plains federal court Thursday, on May 1 of last year, Mueser induced a 7-year-old minor, whom he was tutoring, to engage in sexually explicit conduct, used his iPhone to record the activity and then transported the images from Fairfield County, Connecticut to Westchester County, New York.
“John Meuser allegedly used his position of trust as a tutor to engage in unspeakable acts with a 7-year-old child. Alleged conduct such as Meuser’s can inflict long-lasting negative effects on victims which no child should ever endure. Meuser now faces federal charges and substantial prison time for his craven conduct, as alleged," Strauss said in a statement.
Additionally, on Oct. 1, 2019, Mueser allegedly transported child pornography maintained on his iPhone from Westchester County, New York to Fairfield County, Connecticut.
Mueser was charged on March 19 in Connecticut with possession of child pornography, risk of injury to a minor, sexual assault in the fourth degree, and voyeurism, the complaint says.
According to the FBI, Mueser worked as a tutor and in other positions at a school, church and a number of camps throughout the years, including:
- As a Learning Lab Coordinator and Tech Integrator at the Riverdale Country School for 39 years from approximately 1981 to 2020;
- Affiliated with Camp Riverdale of Education, Sports, and Fun Summer Camp (unknown time frame);
- TCR-on-the-Hudson Day Camp (Tennis Club of Riverdale- College of Mount Saint Vincent) from 1997 to 2019;
- Affiliated with Christ Church of Riverdale: Senior Church Warden (unknown time frame)
Aside from the aforementioned positions, Mueser has been a private tutor in the Bronx, Westchester County, and Connecticut for over 30 years, the FBI says.
News
“Announcements of charges like those we bring today should make anyone’s stomach turn. Mueser allegedly induced his seven-year-old tutoring student to engage in sexually-explicit conduct and recorded it on his phone. Mueser's conduct should shock the community into action to help others," Sweeney said in a statement. "We believe there may be more victims in this case, and we need your help. We implore parents or family members of potential victims to contact us at 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
The investigation is still ongoing. Authorities fear there may be more victims and urge anyone with information to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
