A registered sex offender from Brooklyn was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for soliciting sexually explicit images from two minors and possessing child pornography, federal prosecutors said on Monday.

Joseph Grunwald, 34, of Brooklyn, was sentenced Oct. 22 by U.S. District Judge Nina R. Morrison after pleading guilty in August to three counts in a superseding information, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York .

Grunwald was a registered sex offender when he committed the crimes. Prosecutors said he used the internet and social media to target two boys between March and December of 2023.

“The defendant has demonstrated that he poses a grave danger to children . Today’s sentence was necessary to protect the community from this recidivist menace for decades,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella said. “Notably, the defendant’s prior New York state sentences for sexually assaulting minors – in each case, he received probation – failed to deter him.”

According to court documents, the defendant first contacted a 14-year-old boy, identified as John Doe-1, through the messaging app Telegram. Grunwald confirmed the boy was a minor and solicited a sexually explicit photo from him. The boy later learned his photo was shared in a group chat without his knowledge, prosecutors said.

Grunwald also solicited sexually explicit images from a second minor, identified as John Doe-2, exchanging thousands of messages with him on Instagram. Although the defendant knew the boy was underage, he later falsely claimed to be 18, prosecutors said.

Authorities also seized multiple electronic devices containing additional child pornography, including images and videos of other minors.

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle, Jr., said the sentence would prevent Grunwald from harming more children.

“While nothing can undo the harm suffered by the victims, this significant sentence ensures Joseph Grunwald, a convicted sex offender, will spend the next three decades unable to victimize additional children," he said. "The FBI/NYPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force works day in and day out to hold accountable those who prey on children. Individuals who choose to target the most vulnerable should take note: justice will find you.”

Grunwald had previously been convicted of sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl at a synagogue in 2019 and received 10 years of probation. While that case was pending, he sexually abused a 13-year-old boy in exchange for a cell phone and the use of Grunwald's debit card, prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual abuse and was sentenced to three years of probation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent Chiappini is in charge of the prosecution.

Barbara Russo-Lennon is a digital editor at amNewYork.

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