April 14, 2026
Leonard Suskin, 53, of East Northport has been indicted on 62 counts after allegedly using artificial intelligence programs to transform innocent photos of children into sexual abuse images and distributing them on social media. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the indictment on April 7, and Suskin was arraigned April 6 before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis.
The case broke open in January 2026 on a Long Island Rail Road train. A fellow commuter sitting near Suskin noticed him openly viewing and uploading child sexual abuse images in a chat group on his phone. That passenger used his own phone to record what he saw through the gap between the seats and made note of which stop Suskin exited.
It was the kind of quick thinking that rarely gets public credit. The witness's recordings and observations gave MTA Police enough to identify Suskin as the alleged perpetrator. Detectives then obtained search warrants for his phone and other electronic devices.
Suskin's briefcase contained a phone and flash drives. Additional devices were seized from his East Northport home.
The Suffolk County Police Department's Digital Forensics Unit examined the seized electronics. According to prosecutors, several devices contained child sexual abuse material, including otherwise innocuous images of children that Suskin had allegedly run through AI programs to generate explicit content.
That detail is what sets this case apart. The original photographs were not explicit on their own. Suskin allegedly used AI-powered tools to alter them into abuse material — a method that has exploded in prevalence across the country over the past two years.
Investigators also found evidence that Suskin allegedly uploaded the AI-generated images to social media platforms, distributing them to others through chat groups.
The 62-count indictment includes:
Justice Wilutis set bail at $200,000 cash, $600,000 bond, or $2 million partially secured bond. Suskin is due back in court on May 13 and faces up to seven years in prison if convicted on the top count. He is being represented by attorney Evan Sugar.
This indictment lands at a time when law enforcement nationwide is grappling with AI-generated child exploitation material. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children documented a 1,325% increase in AI-generated CSAM reports between 2023 and 2024 — roughly 67,000 reports in a single year.
New York updated its penal law to explicitly treat AI-manipulated images of children as child sexual abuse material. That legal update is what allows Suffolk County prosecutors to bring these charges even though the original source photos were not explicit. As of mid-2025, 45 states had enacted similar laws criminalizing AI-generated or computer-edited CSAM.
DA Tierney was direct in his statement: "We urge parents to be mindful of the images of their children that they share publicly online, as predators can and do use those images for these purposes."
Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Raso of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau is handling the prosecution. The investigation was led by Detective Philip Gauthier of the MTA Police, with assistance from Detectives Gregory Pranzo and George Oliva of the Suffolk County Police Department's Digital Forensics Unit.
The case is a reminder that everyday vigilance can make a real difference. One commuter's decision to act on what he saw during his ride led to a 62-count indictment. If you see something suspicious, contact the Suffolk County DA's office or call local law enforcement.
Criminal indictments are accusatory instruments. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
