NYPD cop sexted with ‘minor’ while overseeing youth outreach program: prosecutors

An NYPD officer assigned to community youth outreach is currently facing charges in two different boroughs for allegedly engaging in inappropriate behavior with an undercover cop posing as a 14-year-old girl. Travis N. DeSouza, 35, made an appearance in a Queens County court recently, following a previous court appearance in Brooklyn, on charges related to child endangerment for sending sexually explicit messages to an undercover officer he believed to be a minor.

Last October, authorities launched a sting operation to catch DeSouza in the act after suspicions arose regarding his conduct as a supervisor of the Police Explorers program. This program is a youth outreach initiative by the NYPD aimed at teenagers and young adults aged between 14 and 20 who are interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement.

During the operation, an adult undercover officer posed as a participant in the Police Explorers program, claiming to be a 14-year-old girl and requesting DeSouza’s phone number. The officer continued to exchange sexually explicit messages with DeSouza, even though he was aware of her age, according to the complaint.

DeSouza’s messages on platforms like Snapchat included inappropriate innuendos and references to the girl’s age. He even went as far as sending a lewd photo of himself wearing boxer shorts to the undercover agent. The undercover agent responded by asking about the contents of his shorts, to which DeSouza allegedly replied with suggestive comments.

The accused officer sent some of these messages while working at the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn and others from an NYPD facility in Queens, leading to charges in both boroughs. DeSouza has been suspended without pay from the NYPD pending the outcome of the legal proceedings.

In Queens, DeSouza faces charges of attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors in the first degree, official misconduct, obscenity in the third degree, and attempted endangering the welfare of a child. In Brooklyn, he is charged with attempted dissemination of indecent materials to minors in the first degree, attempted endangering the welfare of a child, and obscenity in the third degree.

Despite the serious nature of the charges, DeSouza was released without bail following his court appearance. The case continues to unfold as authorities investigate the extent of his alleged misconduct.