New York City briefs

West Point cadet accused of child pornFederal prosecutors in New York say a West Point cadet has been arrested on child pornography charges.

The U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan says Ricky Patrick Hester was arrested yesterday by Homeland Security agents on the campus of the United States Military Academy.

Prosecutors say the Granger, Ind., man possessed sexual images of children and distributed them to others by email. The office says he also had videos that appeared to show explicit sexual conduct.

Hester, 23, could face up to 20 years in prison on the distribution charge.

De Blasio unveils site for his pre-K planNew York City Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio is ramping up his campaign to pass his universal prekindergarten plan.

De Blasio yesterday announced a website and ad campaign meant to push lawmakers to pass the plan.

The proposal was the centerpiece of his successful mayoral campaign.

He wants to fund it by raising taxes on wealthy New Yorkers, but a tax hike can only be approved by the State Legislature.

To this point, lawmakers have been noncommittal.

De Blasio also is revealing a coalition to help him lobby for the effort, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, actress Cynthia Nixon, singer John Legend and moviemaker Harvey Weinstein.

Lawyer gets 17 years for childtrafficking A former New York partner in an international law firm has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for sex trafficking of a young boy and distribution of child pornography.

Prosecutors say 67-year-old Edward De Sear of Saddle River, N.J., was also ordered yesterday in federal court in Newark to pay $1.2 million restitution to his victims.

De Sear worked in the New York office of an international law firm when he was arrested two years ago.

He admitted arranging in 2011 for a boy to travel from Paris to Brussels and then sexually abusing the child. Prosecutors say he also distributed videos and pictures of young children being sexually abused.

In addition to a 210-month sentence, he was fined $25,000 and placed on a lifetime of supervised release.

Compiled with wire

service reports