FBI arrests Williamsburg man for alleged sexual assault of minor

January 4, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

A 31-year-old convicted sex offender from Williamsburg will be tried in Brooklyn's federal court after he was arrested and charged with luring and molesting a minor, using the Telegram app for communication.
Photo courtesy of NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services

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A 31-year-old resident of Williamsburg, who is a convicted sex offender, was arrested Wednesday and charged in Brooklyn’s federal court on Thursday of engaging in the luring and sexual molestation of a minor.

Joseph Grunwald’s alleged activities took place between April and June 2023, where he is accused of using internet and mobile applications, specifically Telegram, to knowingly attempt to persuade and coerce a minor into sexual activities.

The case against Grunwald, detailed by an FBI special agent, paints a grim picture. The agent, part of the Violent Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force, outlines how Grunwald initiated contact with the victim through Telegram. Despite being informed of the child’s age, Grunwald allegedly continued the engagement, eventually leading it to sexually explicit conversations and requests for inappropriate images.

Grunwald is accused of meeting the child in person, providing gifts and engaging in sexual assault. The complaint includes explicit details of these interactions and the alleged threats made by Grunwald against the child. These threats reportedly ranged from physical harm to the exposure of private images and information to the public and the victim’s family.

On Jan. 3, 2024, the FBI executed search warrants at Grunwald’s residence, uncovering additional evidence pertinent to the case. Though Grunwald was not present during the search, he was later apprehended in Brooklyn leaving a synagogue in Borough Park that same night.

Gunwald is a registered sex offender. In September 2017, Joseph Grunwald was arrested for molesting a 7-year-old girl in a synagogue during Yom Kippur. He faced charges including three misdemeanors for forcible touching and acting injuriously towards a child, alongside a felony count for sexual contact with a child under 11.

Despite his indictment, Grunwald committed another offense, molesting a 13-year-old boy, leading to his re-arrest and charges on 11 misdemeanor counts, which included acting injuriously towards a child, sexual contact with a child under 14, forcible touching, and third-degree sexual abuse.

In January 2019, he pleaded guilty to the felony charge of sexual abuse of a child under 11 and a misdemeanor for sexual contact with a child under 14. Consequently, Grunwald was sentenced to 10 years of probation and is registered as a level-2 sex offender.