PORT CHESTER, N.Y. (May 12, 2026) — Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York unsealed a complaint Monday charging a 42-year-old Stamford, Connecticut man with sexually exploiting a 13-year-old child and transporting the minor across state lines for unlawful sexual activity. Andrew Ford, also known as “AJ,” was arrested Monday and ordered detained following his presentment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause in White Plains federal court.
Ford faces one count of sexual exploitation of a child, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison, and one count of transportation of a minor for unlawful sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison.
According to the complaint, Ford — who was known to the victim and her family — sexually abused the child on multiple occasions in December 2024, both at her home in Westchester County and in Connecticut. The complaint alleges he transported the victim from Westchester County to Greenwich, Connecticut, where the abuse was photographed using a cellphone. Images recovered from Ford’s phone show the victim engaged in sex acts inside a vehicle, parked beneath a Connecticut Turnpike overpass in the Byram section of Greenwich.
The victim’s parents reported the abuse to the Port Chester Police Department on or about December 29, 2024, after the victim’s father noticed repeated calls and text messages between the victim and a phone number he recognized as Ford’s. The victim’s mother reviewed the messages, which she described as sexually suggestive, and the victim subsequently disclosed the abuse.
A forensic interview of the victim was conducted on December 31, 2024. She described multiple sexual encounters with Ford, including incidents in her Westchester home and in Ford’s car. She also told investigators Ford directed her to delete messages and told her not to tell her parents, warning that he would get in trouble if she did.
Ford was first arrested by Port Chester police on May 12, 2025, and charged in the Justice Court of the Town of Rye with two counts of rape in the second degree under New York Penal Law. He was arraigned the following day and released on bail.
Federal investigators subsequently reviewed text messages extracted from the victim’s phone, which spanned approximately February 2024 through January 2025 and included hundreds of communications between the victim and a number listed in her contacts as “AJ.” Among the messages, Ford directed the victim to stay away from boys and sent sexually explicit messages. The victim sent Ford a photo of her face and breasts at his request in December 2024.
Following his federal arrest, Ford told investigators he knew the victim but denied any sexual contact. He claimed that any sexual messages appearing to come from his number had been “spoofed.” He acknowledged taking the victim to a store to buy candy and said he stopped in Byram, Connecticut to speak by phone with the victim’s mother.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “Sexual predators should know this: In 2025 and 2026, our Office has brought federal charges against an unprecedented volume of individuals for the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography. If you prey on children in New York, you will be identified, arrested, and prosecuted.”
Prosecutors say there may be other victims and are asking anyone with information to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov.
The case is being handled by the White Plains Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marcia S. Cohen and Ioannis D. Drivas are in charge of the prosecution. The FBI, Port Chester Police Department, Greenwich Police Department, and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
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