A Lindenhurst man was arrested for engaging in sexually explicit conversations he had with two 10-year-old girls from Texas.
From May to June, Taner Ocal contacted the children through text messages, and through the Instagram handle “baddiedancehouse.” Through this platform, Ocal pretended to be a female dance instructor who was helping the young girls with their dancing, in return for inappropriate videos. The girls notified the Fort Worth Police Department in Texas. Suffolk County Police arrested Ocal at his home at 291 North Indiana Ave. on June 14 at approximately 1 p.m.
During the investigation, officers found child pornography on his cell phone, as well as text messages with several underage girls.
Ocal, 22, was charged with possessing a sexual performance of a child, a Class E felony, and promoting a sexual performance of a child, a Class D felony. He was held overnight at the Third Precinct and scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on June 20.
The investigation is continuing, and detectives are looking into whether Ocal spoke to underage girls in any other states. Detectives are asking anyone with additional information or if they believe they were a victim of Ocal’s to call the Digital Forensics Unit at 631-852-6279.