Stratford Man Who Sexually Exploited Girls Online Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALEXANDER DILELLA, 24, of Stratford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 132 months of imprisonment, followed by seven years of supervised release, for child exploitation offenses related to his sexual exploitation of girls across the country through Snapchat and other online applications.  Judge Underhill also ordered Dilella to pay $24,000 in restitution.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020 and 2021, Dilella used various online applications, including Snapchat, FaceTime, and Omegle to communicate with at least nine minor girls across the country, some as young as 12 and 13 years old, and manipulate them to engage in sexual activity while livestreaming, and to send him explicit images and videos of themselves.  Dilella also sent sexually explicit images of himself to several of minor victims.

During one Snapchat exchange with a 14-year-old victim in Colorado, Dilella referred to the girl as a “child porn slave” and demanded that she send him a sexually explicit image of herself, which she did.  Dilella also attempted to meet a 16-year-old victim in Stratford to engage in sex acts with him, but they could not agree on a location. When the victim suggested they meet in her basement, Dilella declined because he felt was a “trap.”

On May 24, 2021, investigators seized Dilella’s iPhone. Analysis of the phone revealed videos of prepubescent children being sexually abused.

Dilella was arrested on May 4, 2022.  On November 8, 2023, he pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

Dilella, who is released on a $250,000 bond, is required to report to prison on May 15.

This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of the Stratford and Milford Police Departments.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.