Officials: Massapequa man had child pornography

A retired Nassau County probation officer was arrested Tuesday by federal agents on charges of downloading child pornography, officials said.

Gordon Woolf, 60, of Massapequa, who had been a Nassau probation officer for 30 years, was arrested by agents of the Department of Homeland Security, following an investigation into people who were sharing child pornography on line, according to officials.

Woolf was not required to plead at a hearing in federal court in Central Islip.

According to a complaint filed by Eastern District Assistant United States Attorney Allen Bode, Woolf admitted to agents that he had been viewing child pornography for the past 10 years.

Woolf was held for psychiatric evaluation by magistrate Gary Brown after prosecutor Bode said he told agents he wanted to end his life.

Woolf's defense attorney Tracey Gaffey said in court that her client was not suicidal but had been very upset when he made the statements to agents.

After the hearing, Gaffey declined to comment.

If convicted, Woolf could face between five and 20 years in prison.