Arrested In Rockland Hotel Waiting For '13-Year-Old'

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — A 24-year-old caught in a sex predator sting has pleaded guilty to disseminating indecent material to minors, Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced.

Dylan Choe of New York City engaged in an online conversation with a Rockland County District Attorney’s Office undercover investigator on a social media platform in January. The undercover investigator claimed to be a 13-year-old girl from Rockland County.

Choe had a sexually explicit conversation with the investigator. As their talks advanced, Choe
made arrangements for the two to meet at a Rockland County hotel.

On January 19, 2023, Choe checked into a Rockland hotel and waited for the supposed 13-year-old.

Instead Choe was arrested and charged with disseminating indecent materials to minors in the first degree. He pleaded guilty Oct. 16.

"Our office remains committed to ensuring the safety of innocent children in our community. This case is a clear warning to all that predatory behavior will be pursued relentlessly and brought to justice," Walsh said.

The guilty plea is the latest action in an ongoing cybercrime sting operation first launched by the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office in 2022. Last December, Rockland County
District Attorney’s Office investigators arrested seven men for sex crimes following a separate operation called “Operation Catfish.”

The Rockland County District Attorney’s Office has been a member of the Internet Crimes Against
Children (ICAC) since 2020. The ICAC is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces, representing over 5,400 federal, state, and local law enforcement, dedicated to investigating, prosecuting and developing effective responses to internet crimes against children.

Choe is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 17.