BOSTON (WHDH) - A 36-year-old Roxbury woman was ordered held on $5,000 bail after being arraigned on child porn charges on Wednesday, officials said.
After receiving a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in March, the Boston Police Department Crimes Against Children Unit launched an investigation and arrested Stephanie Lak, 36, on charges of possession of child pornography and distribution of material of a child in a sex act, according to Boston police.
Investigators said she admitted sharing more than 100 files of child porn using the Kik messenger app, user name “sallydally69.”
Documents show the company that runs Kik alerted the authorities to an IP address, later linked to Lak that had shared eight files that contained images of children aged 5 or younger being exploited sexually.
Boston police executed a search warrant at her home on April 15 and took a laptop and three cellphones.
Another person who lives in the house with Lak told 7NEWS she made some comments about a boyfriend who may have had access to her computer.
36 yr old Stephanie Lak of Roxbury is being arraigned on a charge possession of child porn. A prosecutor says she “clearly has a sexual interest in children” and wants people to be protected. The FBI was in on the investigation. She has worked in the child care industry. pic.twitter.com/fRc7cWT7KO
— Jonathan Hall (@JHall7news) April 28, 2021
Prosecutor Nicole Poirier told the judge that Lak clearly had a sexual interest in children.
“It’s clear she has access to children,” Poirier said. “She has a long history of being a nanny and a babysitter on that site as well as potential other sites and she has a sexual interest in children.”
Prosecutors said Lak advertised on the Sittercity site and last accessed her account there on March 19.
Now, police are looking to speak with people who may have had contact with her.
If you or your minor dependents have been in contact with Lak and think you may be a victim of the allegations in this case, please email Lakinvestigation@fbi.gov and provide your name and best contact information to have a member of the investigative team contact you.
All identities of victims will be kept confidential. Identified victims may be eligible for certain services and rights under state and/or federal law.
Lak has been ordered to stay away from children under the age of 18.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online.
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