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Collins was previously arrested by New Castle police and charged with third degree criminal sexual act in connection with the crimes outlined by federal prosecutors. He was out on bail at the time of Wednesday’s arrest.

From Sept 16, to Nov. 7, Collins, who used the Snapchat username “jimc20237221,” persuaded a 17-year-old minor in Illinois to engage in sexually explicit activity and send him videos and photos of such activity, according to the feds.

In court documents, prosecutors lay out a disturbing pattern of behavior.

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On July 20 of last year, a 15-year-old boy told the New Castle Police Department that he had engaged in sexual activity at the public library in exchange for money. The victim later told detectives and the Westchester District Attorney’s Office that he met a man on Snapchat that month and arranged to meet at the library to engage in sexual activity for money. The victim said that he met the man in a single-stall bathroom at the library, engaged in oral sex with him, and that the man tried to penetrate him anally. The man then gave the teen $200 in cash.

Investigators say that on November 7, the victim identified James Collins, Jr. in a photo-array as the man he met in the library.

The victim gave New Castle police permission to use his personal Snapchat account to contact Collins. A detective, posing as the victim, made plans to meet Collins at the library later that day. Detectives conducting surveillance in the area saw Collins park his red Toyota Rav 4 at the library and then eventually enter the building. After he walked out of the library, NCPD detectives arrested him. After a search, detectives found a phone, a small towel and a container of Vaseline on his person. Collins was charged with third degree criminal sexual act and was out on bail.

On November 21, police obtained a search warrant for Collins’ phone. An FBI task force officer specially trained in forensic analysis of digital evidence found Snapchat mesages between Collins and a Snapchat user between September 15, and November 7. Several of these messages contained sexually explicit photos and videos, according to law enforcement.

The FBI task force officer also found that Collins was communicating with at least nine Snapchat accounts referencing 16-year-old boys, five Snapchat accounts referencing 15-year-old boys, and three Snapchat accounts referencing 14-year-old boys.

On December 19, a forensic interviewer interviewed a 17-year-old in Illinois who said that he sent images of himself in exchange for Collins’ promise of gifts. The victim said he received one gift which was a Pokemon plush toy.

Collins is already at the center of a a lawsuit alleging a “horror story” of sexual abuse of children in Mount Kisco and Chappaqua.

Five years before today’s arrest, in November of 2018, victims represented by Manly, Stewart & Finaldi and Krantz & Berman began reporting allegations of past sex crimes committed by Collins, a former summer camp coordinator, baseball coach and school employee, to town, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

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These survivors alleged that Collins began preying on children nearly 50 years ago. To back up their allegations, some of these victims recorded conversations of Collins talking about his past sexual conduct with children.

“I am pleased that the United States Department of Justice is putting the full weight of the federal government behind the effort to stop Jimmy Collins’ sexual predation of children,” Gregory Ardanowski, an alleged sexual abuse victim of Collins said. “His horrific abuse has now spanned over six decades. If the Village of Mount Kisco and Boys & Girls Club of Mount Kisco had acted sooner, his abuse of children would have ended years ago.”

While at least one victim has praised today’s move by the federal prosecutors, an attorney for the alleged victims, Saul Wolf, said that decades of inaction allowed more boys to be victimized.

“I place the blame for this tragedy squarely on the Village of Mt. Kisco, The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester and the Chappaqua Central School District for ignoring complaints and warning signs of sexual abuse against Collins that began decades ago,” Wolf said. “This is why more than 15 lawsuits were filed against these defendants. I expect that number to increase as more of Collins’ current victims come forward.”

Anyone who may have encountered Collins or whose child may have had any communications with Collins is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), the New Castle Police Department at 914-238-4422 or [email protected] and/or The Westchester County District Attorney at 914-995-3000.

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