GROUP HOME GUARD ARRESTED www.privateofficer.com
July 14,2007
YORKTOWN NY - A security guard at a home for troubled youths shared photos of bound and gagged boys and discussed in Internet chat rooms a desire to sexually abuse children, federal authorities said.
Henry P. Steeneck, 36, of 2676 Old Yorktown Road was arrested Thursday by FBI agents when he returned from his overnight shift at Lincoln Hall, a residential treatment center in Somers that houses about 240 teenage boys from around the state. He was charged with two felony counts of distributing child pornography.
FBI agents, Westchester County police and Yorktown police searched Steeneck's home and seized eight computers and three handguns. Steeneck shares the white-sided split-level ranch house in the family neighborhood with his older brother, Stephen.
Neighbors yesterday described Steeneck as someone who kept to himself, who didn't offer much more than a wave when he pulled out of his driveway.
"It's very shocking, it really is," said Anne-Marie Delfavero, a 29-year-old mother of three small children who lives across the street from Steeneck. "You think you know your neighborhood."
Delfavero's next-door neighbor, Bob Fahey, said the Steenecks had lived across the street from him since he moved to Old Yorktown Road in 1993. In all that time, he said, he never even met Henry.
"It would be worse if I knew him personally," said Fahey, a father of a 14-year-old boy and 9-year-old girl. "It would disturb me greatly if it was someone I knew."
Delfavero and Fahey said they never saw any children around the Steeneck house, and Steeneck is not charged with abusing any minors. But federal authorities said he discussed the notion of swapping children with others for sexual abuse and drugging them to facilitate the acts during sessions on July 2 and 3 in an Internet chat room.
Steeneck does not have any children of his own. U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia said the investigation is continuing.
Steeneck's lawyer did not return calls seeking comment. His brother did not answer the door at their home yesterday, but did come out to shoo a camera crew off his property, shielding his face with the lid from a cardboard box.
Steeneck has worked as an overnight security guard at Lincoln Hall since February, said Jack Flavin, the executive director of the 460-acre home for troubled youths. Flavin said the facility was not a detention center but was a residential treatment center for youths 12 to 18 from across the state who are placed there by state courts.
Steeneck was hired after a complete background check that included fingerprinting, Flavin said.
"There was nothing in his history that indicated any problem," Flavin said.
Steeneck, a former second assistant chief of the Somers Fire Department, was never alone with any of the youths, Flavin said. Other staff members were always around during his overnight shifts. Steeneck guarded a cottage that housed 24 students in a dormitory.
"There's no allegation of any impropriety by him here at Lincoln Hall," Flavin said.
Federal agents and local police visited the center Thursday and inspected the cottage where Steeneck worked. They did not speak to any of the youths. They subpoenaed and received Steeneck's personnel records.
"I will say we're shocked," Flavin said. "We run a very tight ship here. We have no real history with him."
Flavin said there would be no official determination about Steeneck's employment until the criminal case is resolved. But Steeneck won't be welcome back at Lincoln Hall, he said.
"He's not going to be working here, that's clear," he said.
Steeneck was ordered held without bail by U.S. District Judge Stephen C. Robinson during a hearing in federal court in White Plains. He faces a minimum of five years and maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted of either of the charges.
for more breaking security news go to www.privateofficer.com
YORKTOWN NY - A security guard at a home for troubled youths shared photos of bound and gagged boys and discussed in Internet chat rooms a desire to sexually abuse children, federal authorities said.
Henry P. Steeneck, 36, of 2676 Old Yorktown Road was arrested Thursday by FBI agents when he returned from his overnight shift at Lincoln Hall, a residential treatment center in Somers that houses about 240 teenage boys from around the state. He was charged with two felony counts of distributing child pornography.
FBI agents, Westchester County police and Yorktown police searched Steeneck's home and seized eight computers and three handguns. Steeneck shares the white-sided split-level ranch house in the family neighborhood with his older brother, Stephen.
Neighbors yesterday described Steeneck as someone who kept to himself, who didn't offer much more than a wave when he pulled out of his driveway.
"It's very shocking, it really is," said Anne-Marie Delfavero, a 29-year-old mother of three small children who lives across the street from Steeneck. "You think you know your neighborhood."
Delfavero's next-door neighbor, Bob Fahey, said the Steenecks had lived across the street from him since he moved to Old Yorktown Road in 1993. In all that time, he said, he never even met Henry.
"It would be worse if I knew him personally," said Fahey, a father of a 14-year-old boy and 9-year-old girl. "It would disturb me greatly if it was someone I knew."
Delfavero and Fahey said they never saw any children around the Steeneck house, and Steeneck is not charged with abusing any minors. But federal authorities said he discussed the notion of swapping children with others for sexual abuse and drugging them to facilitate the acts during sessions on July 2 and 3 in an Internet chat room.
Steeneck does not have any children of his own. U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia said the investigation is continuing.
Steeneck's lawyer did not return calls seeking comment. His brother did not answer the door at their home yesterday, but did come out to shoo a camera crew off his property, shielding his face with the lid from a cardboard box.
Steeneck has worked as an overnight security guard at Lincoln Hall since February, said Jack Flavin, the executive director of the 460-acre home for troubled youths. Flavin said the facility was not a detention center but was a residential treatment center for youths 12 to 18 from across the state who are placed there by state courts.
Steeneck was hired after a complete background check that included fingerprinting, Flavin said.
"There was nothing in his history that indicated any problem," Flavin said.
Steeneck, a former second assistant chief of the Somers Fire Department, was never alone with any of the youths, Flavin said. Other staff members were always around during his overnight shifts. Steeneck guarded a cottage that housed 24 students in a dormitory.
"There's no allegation of any impropriety by him here at Lincoln Hall," Flavin said.
Federal agents and local police visited the center Thursday and inspected the cottage where Steeneck worked. They did not speak to any of the youths. They subpoenaed and received Steeneck's personnel records.
"I will say we're shocked," Flavin said. "We run a very tight ship here. We have no real history with him."
Flavin said there would be no official determination about Steeneck's employment until the criminal case is resolved. But Steeneck won't be welcome back at Lincoln Hall, he said.
"He's not going to be working here, that's clear," he said.
Steeneck was ordered held without bail by U.S. District Judge Stephen C. Robinson during a hearing in federal court in White Plains. He faces a minimum of five years and maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted of either of the charges.
for more breaking security news go to www.privateofficer.com
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