Cops: Central Islip sex offender charged in rape

A registered sex offender on probation for a previous rape conviction has been charged in the rape of a 16-year-old girl, police said Wednesday.

George Rodriguez, 21, of Central Islip, was arrested Tuesday on charges of second-degree rape, third-degree criminal sex act, use of a child in a sexual performance and endangering the welfare of a child, Suffolk police said.

Suffolk County probation officers found that Rodriguez "was in possession of potentially inappropriate photographs and videos that were stored on his cell phone," police said.

The officers seized the phone, and further investigation revealed Rodriguez, a registered Level 1 sex offender on probation since February, "had been sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl and had been taking video and photos" of the encounters during the past year, police said.

Rodriguez, of Ash Street, was to be arraigned Wednesday at First District Court in Central Islip.