Rape charge for sex offender in N.Y. who allegedly abused young girls, lured victim with candy

Clay N.Y. — A Central New York man lured a 5-year-old child from a playground Sunday at a North Syracuse apartment complex and sexually abused her, according to Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley.

Ryan Pontello, 33, of Clay, was charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sex abuse, luring a child, endangering the welfare of a child and acting in a manner injurious to a child under 17, Shelley said Tuesday at a news conference.

On Sunday, Pontello used candy to lure the girl into the woods at the Windsor Place Apartments at 5607 Bear Rd., Shelley said.

The girl was not known to him, according to sheriff’s office Capt. Jesse Welch.

The girl was able to escape and immediately informed her friends, who in turn told their parents, Thomas Newton, a sheriff’s office spokesperson, said in the news release. The residents quickly contacted 911, he said.

Several witnesses at the playground also called 911 to report Pontello taking the girl away, Welch said.

The witnesses were able to provide deputies with a detailed description of Pontello and his vehicle, Newton said. The girl was taken to a local hospital, he said.

Pontello was also charged this week for an incident earlier this year where he’s accused of sexually abusing a 3-year-old girl, Welch said.

Pontello was charged with first-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child in that case, he said.

Pontello was arrested and brought in for questioning on Monday, Shelley said.

Pontello is a level 1 sex offender from an incident that occurred on July 7, 2011 in Oswego County, Shelley said. Shelley and Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said they are looking into the details of that case.

In 2013, Pontello, then 21, who was living in Phoenix (Oswego County), was accused of having sexual contact with a child in 2011, according to Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard archives. He was charged with felony sexual abuse and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child. The resolution of that case could not be immediately determined.

As a level 1 sex offender, Pontello was considered a “low risk of re-offense,” according to the state Sex Offender’s Registry. At that level, his registry as a sex offender would not have been public.

Pontello’s case is expected to go to a grand jury, Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick said his office is in the process of doing an electronic review of Pontello’s social media and his phone. He said depending on what is found, there may be additional charges.

Shelley said the sheriff’s office is concerned that Pontello is a suspect in other incidents. He asked anyone with information about Pontello to call the Criminal Investigations Division at 315-435-3081.

Pontello was arraigned Tuesday and is being held in the Justice Center jail on no bail.