Worcester man arrested for online sexual activity with child

ALBANY, N.Y. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Federal prosecutors accuse a Worcester man of using his Playstation 3 to ask an Albany, N.Y. child to send him sexually explicit videos.

Local law enforcement and the FBI were alerted to the alleged activity on Jan. 25 when the 10-year-old boy's father found emails and videos on the child's iPad.

U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian alleges that 21-year-old Brian Belanger met the boy through Playstation's headset feature, where video game players can talk to each other. Using the screen name "zombieshadow," Belanger told the boy that someone was trying to kill him, and he could be saved if the child sent him sexually explicit videos, which Belanger would then send them to the other person.

According to federal officials, over three months, Belanger told the boy what to do, and the numerous videos depicted him engaging in "sexually explicit conduct."

Belanger appeared in court Monday and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in jail if convicted.

Cox Media Group