Rome woman charged after child exploitation cyber tip, police say

Logan R. Kelley, 27, of Rome, was arrested after state police said a cyber tip led investigators to a City of Rome home and to evidence that she used the internet to view and distribute child sexual abuse material. Kelley was charged with promoting a sexual performance by a child, a Class D felony, and was arraigned in Oneida County Centralized Arraignment Part Court, where bail was set at $3,000 cash, $6,000 insurance bond or $10,000 partially secured bond.

The search warrant was executed April 21 by the New York State Police Troop D Computer Crime Unit, Troop D Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Oneida, the Rome Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. State police said the case began with a cyber tip submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which runs the nation’s centralized reporting system for online child exploitation and reviews reports before forwarding them to law enforcement. New York State Police say the state ICAC task force serves as a central hub for CyberTips and that it received more than 22,000 CyberTips in 2023.

Investigators said the case remained ongoing after Kelley was interviewed during the warrant execution. For parents and guardians, the practical lesson is direct: take online exploitation seriously and report suspected abuse quickly through law enforcement or the CyberTipline, and call 911 if a child is in immediate danger. New York State Police say reports can be made online or through the 1-800-THE-LOST hotline.

Families in Onondaga County can also turn to the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Victims Assistance Program, 505 S. State St. in Syracuse, 315-435-3916, for support, referrals and help with New York State Office of Victim Services compensation. The state Office of Victim Services can be reached at 1-800-247-8035, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it also connects people to victim-assistance programs across New York.