File Photo
Seto was arrested by authorities shortly after arriving at LaGuardia Airport.
By Michael V. Cusenza
An Astoria man was arrested Thursday at LaGuardia Airport as he attempted to consummate a sexual rendezvous with a teenager, federal prosecutors said.
Over the course of approximately 16 days in August and September, Jason Seto, 41, allegedly sent sexually explicit text messages and photos to an individual whom Seto believed to be a 14-year-old boy; City Police Det. Damon Gergar was actually on the other end of that digital dialog with Seto.
“On or about Aug. 21, 2019, I began working in an undercover capacity via an Internet-connected smartphone to conduct an investigation into individuals attempting to have sex with underage boys. I initially was contacted by an individual, who I later determined was the defendant, Jason Seto, on a dating application which individuals primarily use to meet up to have sexual contact,” Gergar stated in the complaint. “The defendant sent me a picture of himself, which included his face, as well as a picture of his penis. Within approximately 15 minutes of talking to the defendant, I told him I was 14 years old. The defendant responded ‘cool,’ and continued talking to me… At one point shortly after saying that I was 14, the defendant responded ‘I like young.’”
Seto “repeatedly expressed interest in meeting up with me,” Gergar said. Eventually the detective set up the rendezvous for Thursday at 6 p.m. at a LaGuardia food court. Seto was cuffed shortly after arriving at the airport.
“The defendant’s phone contained the chats that I had with him on the Telegram application where he attempted to entice me, posing as a 14-year-old boy, to have sex,” Gergar said.
