New Hyde Park resident Richard Heumann charged with possessing child sexual abuse images, Westchester DA says

A Long Island man has been charged in Westchester with possessing child sexual abuse material in 30-count indictment, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Richard Heumann, 72, of New Hyde Park, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment before Judge Robert Prisco in Westchester County Court to 30 counts of possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child, a felony, the Westchester County District Attorney's office said in a news release.

Heumann was released on his own recognizance. The charge is not bail-eligible under New York State law.

“The defendant allegedly possessed a cache of illegal content, which not only contributed to the continued abuse and exploitation of real children, but compounded the devastating harm suffered by these young victims," Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace said in a statement. "This indictment underscores my office’s steadfast commitment to combating this type of online depravity and ensuring those who exploit the vulnerable face the wrath of our criminal justice system."

Heumann allegedly had to separate digital files that depicted "children under the age of 16 engaging in sexual conduct" in his possession last February in White Plains, prosecutors said.

Following a monthslong investigation, the White Plains Police Department arrested Heumann at his home in December.

Heumann’s Mineola-based defense attorney Dennis Lemke said his client was selling insurance, and using a laptop belonging to a Houston-based brokerage company, when the company alerted Heumann that the laptop contained child porn images.

Lemke said his client took the laptop to a forensic expert in Westchester, who then alerted authorities.

“He vehemently denies these allegations,” said Lemke, who questioned whether the laptop could have been hacked or the images were linked to AI. “It will really be a battle of experts.”

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.