Ex-NYPD Officer Gets 40 Years for Child Abuse

Christopher Terranova, a 35-year-old former NYPD officer, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting four boys—three aged 15 and one aged 12—many of whom he met through his work at the 121st Precinct in Staten Island. Terranova abused his position by accessing NYPD databases to contact a 15-year-old robbery victim and solicit explicit photos, and he groomed other victims via social media. He also bought a house in Texas near one victim and traveled there multiple times to commit sexual abuse. Terranova cited alcoholism and struggles with his sexuality as factors, but Judge Kiyo Matsumoto explicitly rejected these excuses, emphasizing the deliberate nature of his crimes. The prosecution and judge highlighted the grave abuse of authority and lifelong trauma suffered by the victims. Authorities praised the sentence as a just outcome that ensures Terranova cannot harm other children.