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In Syracuse, Ryan Pontello, a convicted Level 1 sex offender, is facing additional felony charges after new evidence emerged. The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office uncovered evidence indicating that Pontello committed sex acts on two young victims, aged three and four, in June 2022. Investigators discovered this evidence while examining Pontello's digital history on his phone.
Sheriff Toby Shelley stated that Pontello also attempted to obtain nude photos of two young girls, further compounding the charges against him. Pontello, who has a history of offenses, was previously charged in June with the alleged rape of a five-year-old girl whom he lured from a playground in North Syracuse. At that time, he faced charges of rape, luring a child, sexual abuse, and endangering the welfare of a child.
Pontello's criminal record dates back to 2011, when he was first convicted of misdemeanor sexual abuse of a five-year-old girl in the Town of Palermo. Despite his conviction, he was not registered as a Level 1 sex offender until 2016. Sheriff Shelley has been in discussions with Governor Kathy Hochul regarding potential changes to New York State's sex offender laws, emphasizing the need for a redesignation and publication of information about Level 1 offenders, whose details are currently less accessible to the public.
Assemblywoman Pam Hunter is co-sponsoring an act to amend the state's sex offender laws and the risk assessment process. These developments come as the community grapples with the implications of Pontello's actions and the ongoing need for reform in handling sex offender cases.