Reports of the criminal investigation were revealed yesterday evening by CNN. According to the cable network, law enforcement sources told the CNN preliminary investigations are underway for the alleged exchange of sexually explicit messages and pictures with the teen who had told him she was 15.
The alleged sexting is being investigated by both the FBI and the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit (SUV). According to the sources, prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office have subpoenaed Weiner’s cellphone records as well as other material.
The sexting allegations involving Weiner and the underage girl first became public in an exclusive story broken by the U.K.’s Daily Mail on Wednesday. According to the paper the 15-year-old, whose name was not released, said she began sexting with the former congressman in January. She claims she told Weiner she was 15-years-old high school sophomore. She claimed Weiner asked her to dress up as a schoolgirl and participate in rape fantasies. The girl also said Weiner told her to take her clothes off and touch herself. Although she said Weiner was never totally nude during their video chats, he was usually shirtless and wore only boxer shorts.
According to the Daily Mail, the newspaper has examined some of the online messages and pictures and conducted extensive interviews with the girl and her father.
Since the sexting revelations, Weiner issued a statement that was somewhat confusing. On one hand, he advised the Daily Mail he was “likely the subject of a hoax.” But he also took responsibility for using poor judgement when it came to his online activities and said he has no one to blame but himself.
This is not the first sexting scandal Weiner has been involved in although it is the first time it has been alleged he sexted with a person he knew to be a minor. The seven-term congressman resigned his seat in June 2011 after multiple instances of sexting with women were revealed. Two years later, he asked the public to forgive him and ran in the Democratic primaries for mayor of NYC. Two months before the voting, it was revealed Weiner was still sexting under the online name of “Carlos Danger.” On Sept. 10, 2013, Bill de Blasio, who would go on to become New York’s next mayor, won the primary taking 40.8 percent of the vote. Weiner finished fifth with only 4.9 percent of the ballots cast.
Weiner is married to Huma Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton. At the end of last month, Abedin announced she was leaving Weiner after evidence emerged he was still sexting. In one disturbing picture, Weiner was seen lying in bed wearing shorts that showed a bulge in his pants. The couple’s four-year-old son was lying next to him.
The appearance of his son in the picture triggered an investigation by New York City’s Administration of Children’s Services (ACS).
Under federal law it is illegal to sexually exploit minors or to exchange obscene material with a child.
