PRESS RELEASE
On August 3, 2020 the Bureau of Criminal Investigation arrested Christopher B. Lapress, 38, of Buffalo, NY, for Rape 2nd degree (D Felony), Promoting a Sexual Performance of a Child- 3 counts (D Felony) and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
In August 2018, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) out of SP Batavia received a case from the Virginia State Police, where they had engaged in undercover online operations and caught the defendant disseminating child pornography. As this case developed, seven additional cyber tips were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) linking Lapress with an address in South Buffalo. Lapress was found at the residence and admitted to disseminating and possessing child pornography.
The BCI were contacted by Erie County Child Protective Services (CPS), who had an active investigation on Lapress. Further investigation revealed that Lapress engaged in sexual activity with a minor in 2010. The BCI were able to locate the victim, now an adult, and during the interview the victim acknowledged that they had engaged in sexual activity with Lapress. The victim was 13 years old and Lapress was 28 during that time period. Further details of these encounters were confirmed through this investigation, as well as several search warrants of Lapress’ social media accounts.
Lapress was found to have requested nude photographs of a separate 16-year-old victim in 2018. Lapress was found to have sent an image of child pornography to an acquaintance through a dating App. Lapress utilized a persona and “catfished” the victim to gauge interest in the image.
Lapress was arraigned and remanded to the Erie County Holding Center without bail and scheduled to appear for a felony hearing on September 8, 2020.
If anyone has information on Christopher B. Lapress, contact the NYSP at 585-344-6200.