A local leader of a prominent anti-child abuse advocacy group, Bikers Against Child Abuse, was caught with child pornography and arrested, police in New York said.
John C. Todaro, 49, is the vice president of the Buffalo chapter of the group, which would give him opportunities to be around children and child victims, New York State Police said. He was arrested on April 9 and charged with two felonies, promoting a sexual performance by a child and possessing a sexual performance by a child.
Todaro was accused of possessing and distributing the child pornography. He was arraigned in court in Amherst, New York, and released. He has another court date in May, police said. It wasn’t clear if Todaro had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
The Buffalo chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse said in a statement it is “deeply troubled” by the charges.
“The reported actions represent a serious breach of the values and mission we uphold. Such behavior is unacceptable to our organization and stands in direct violation of our strict code of conduct,” the chapter said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Upon learning of the allegations, our leadership took immediate and decisive action to permanently remove the individual from our organization.”