69-Year-Old Upstate NY Man Arrested on Charges of Forcible Touching

New York State Police have arrested an Upstate New York man on charges of forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child.

On Thursday, January 25th, the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation at Norwich arrested 69-year-old Francesco Baio of New Berlin, about 20 miles south of West Winfield, for the misdemeanors of Forcible Touching and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.  

An investigation revealed that on Sunday, January 21, 2024, Baio inappropriately touched a person under the age of 17, Troopers say.  Baio was arrested and later arraigned before a judge.  According to a New York State Police press release, Baio is due back at the New Berlin Town Court on February 14, 2024.

No additional information is available at this time.

How to Report a Sex Crime Against a Child

New York State defines a child as anyone 16-years-of-age or younger.

The CyberTipline is the place to report child sexual exploitation. If you believe you are a victim of exploitation you can make a report, click on the link below “SUBMIT A TIP ONLINE” or you can make a report over the phone. Our hotline (1-800-THE-LOST) is available 24 hours, 7 days a week and our staff are here to connect you to the resources you need. If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, please call 911 or your local police immediately.

As remarkable as the Internet is, the "information superhighway" holds hidden dangers for children. Just as there are good and bad places to go in any city or community, there are good and bad places to go on the Internet.
Most children do not understand the online risks, and few parents are sufficiently familiar with them and/or Internet technology to effectively guard against them. Yet, this is a problem that must be addressed, since more and more children use the Internet for safe, legitimate purposes.
This requires unprecedented collaboration and cooperation between government entities (including law enforcement agencies), the Internet industry, schools, corporations, families, and others. Broad access to quality content on the Internet must be a community priority, where all involved identify and implement appropriate solutions.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE:   This post is for informational purposes and is based largely on information received from the New York State Police.  The reader is reminded that all suspects and arrested persons are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.  At the time of this posting no additional information is available.]