A 23-year-old man from New Rochelle has been sentenced to 21 years in prison after admitting to sexually abusing three children and secretly filming the encounters, with the crimes occurring from 2019 to early 2023. Jason Ricketts will also have 20 years of supervised release and will register as a sex offender. Ricketts met his victims in various locations where children congregated, falsely representing himself as younger to befriend them. He then gained their trust, used illegal substances with them, and proceeded to commit sex acts while recording the events.
During a press conference, District Attorney Mimi Rocah revealed that in some cases, Ricketts recorded the victims without their knowledge. When the victims expressed a desire for the abuse to end, Ricketts threatened to share the footage on social media platforms like Snapchat. One victim, who had known Ricketts since the age of 8, expressed in court the impact the abuse had on his life, stating that Ricketts had stolen years from him and described him as a predator. Another victim labeled Ricketts as a “disgusting human being” and stated that they were no longer afraid of him.
Ricketts apologized in court to the victims as well as his own family, acknowledging that he did not believe the victims would forgive him but expressed belief in God’s forgiveness. In January, Ricketts pleaded guilty to several charges including first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, second-degree criminal sexual act, and promoting obscene sexual performance by a child. His arrest in January 2023 followed the seizure of multiple devices from his residence after an investigation by the New Rochelle police and other agencies. A photo vault app on Ricketts’ phone contained videos and images of him engaging in sexual acts with the victims.
In a statement, District Attorney Rocah emphasized that after years of harming children and causing unimaginable trauma to his victims, Ricketts has been held accountable for his actions and removed from the community through his sentencing. The severity of Ricketts’ crimes, which involved abusing children over a several-year period, prompted the significant prison term and supervised release that was handed down by the court. The manipulative nature of Ricketts’ actions, including using deception to befriend the victims and threatening them with exposure of the abuse, adds another layer to the disturbing and predatory behavior exhibited by the perpetrator.
The impact of Ricketts’ crimes on the victims, as described in court during the sentencing, highlights the lasting trauma and emotional scars left by the abuse. Despite Ricketts’ attempts at apology and expressions of remorse in court, the victims made it clear that the damage inflicted upon them was significant and had long-lasting effects. The court’s decision to impose a lengthy prison sentence, supervised release, and registration as a sex offender reflects the seriousness of the crimes committed by Ricketts and serves as a reminder of the legal consequences for those who engage in predatory behavior against children.
