Predator Caught: NY State Police Arrest Durham Man on Child Sexual Exploitation Charges

A digital tip turned into justice as New York State Police arrested a Greene County man accused of possessing and promoting child sexual abuse material, including images of children as young as three years old, sending a powerful reminder that law enforcement is watching the internet and protecting its youngest victims.

When a Tip Leads to an Arrest

On June 2, 2026, the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) in Catskill, working alongside the Troop F Computer Crimes Unit, arrested David S. Wood, 51, of Durham, New York, on two serious felony charges related to the sexual exploitation of children.

Wood was charged with:

• Promoting an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child Less Than 17 Years of Age (Class D Felony)

• Possessing or Accessing an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child Less Than 16 Years of Age (Class E Felony)

The arrest did not happen overnight. It began in September 2024, when a CyberTip was submitted through the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). That tip triggered a months-long investigation that eventually led investigators to obtain and execute a search warrant for Wood and his electronic devices.

What they found was deeply disturbing. Investigators determined that Wood possessed and promoted images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, including victims as young as three years old.

From CyberTip to Courtroom

Wood was arrested without incident, processed at State Police Catskill, and arraigned on June 2, 2026, in the Town of Cairo Court. He was remanded to the Greene County Jail, with bail set at:

• $100,000 cash

• $200,000 bond

• $300,000 partially secured bond

He is scheduled to return to court at a later date.

The Network Behind the Arrest: ICAC and NCMEC

This case is a textbook example of how the ICAC Task Force model is designed to work. The ICAC Task Force Program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces representing more than 5,400 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies across the country, organized by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The numbers speak to their impact. In fiscal year 2024 alone, ICAC task forces:

• Conducted approximately 203,467 investigations

• Led to the arrest of more than 12,600 offenders

• Trained approximately 46,000 law enforcement professionals

Since the program’s inception in 1998, ICAC has reviewed more than 844,600 complaints and resulted in more than 89,400 arrests nationwide, according to the ICAC Task Force Program.

The NCMEC’s CyberTipline is a critical part of this system. Tech companies are required by federal law to report discovered child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to NCMEC, which then routes that information to law enforcement. In the Wood case, that system worked exactly as intended.

Why This Matters to Upstate New York

Greene County sits in the heart of the Hudson Valley, about 90 minutes south of the Capital Region. While it may feel removed from the daily concerns of Utica and the Mohawk Valley, the threat of child sexual exploitation is not bound by geography.

For families across upstate New York, from the Catskills to the North Country, this arrest is a reminder that predators are not just in cities. They live in rural communities. They use the same internet that children use for school, for gaming, and for connecting with friends.

Law enforcement agencies throughout the region, including those connected to the ICAC network, rely on tips, community awareness, and digital forensics to protect children. Every parent who teaches their child about internet safety, every teacher who flags suspicious behavior, and every community member who reports something that does not feel right plays a role in this chain of protection.

“The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force program helps state and local law enforcement agencies develop an effective response to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation,” the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention states. The program is funded to the tune of $39.9 million in fiscal year 2024 alone.

What Parents and Communities Can Do

Child sexual exploitation is a preventable crime, but it requires active participation from families, schools, and communities. Here are steps every family should take:

• Talk openly with children about what is and is not appropriate online behavior

• Monitor device usage and use parental controls on all internet-connected devices

• Report suspicious activity by submitting a tip at NCMEC’s CyberTipline or calling 1-800-843-5678

• Educate yourself on signs that a child may be a victim of online exploitation

• Contact local law enforcement immediately if you suspect a child is in danger

The ICAC Task Force also provides free community education resources. Families and schools in upstate New York can reach out to their local ICAC-affiliated agency to schedule presentations.

The System Worked. Now the Courts Must Too.

David S. Wood is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. But the system that flagged, investigated, and ultimately led to his arrest functioned exactly as it was built to function: a digital tip, a coordinated investigation, and an arrest that keeps a community safer.

If convicted, Wood faces significant prison time. The charges represent a Class D and a Class E felony under New York State law. And in cases involving children as young as three years old, the weight of those charges carries a moral urgency that goes beyond legal classification.

Justice moves at its own pace. But awareness moves faster. Share this story. Talk to your children. Report what you see. The children who could not speak for themselves deserve a community that speaks loudly on their behalf.

David LaGuerre is the Chief Content Creator for the Utica Phoenix. www.uticaphoenix.net