James M. DeSantis, a Level 3 registered sex offender employed by the City of Syracuse, has been terminated from his position after authorities arrested him on multiple felony charges alleging exploitation of a 12-year-old girl. The incident has prompted Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens to announce an immediate and comprehensive review of the city's hiring policies, particularly concerning background checks for municipal employees.
"These allegations are horrific. Our thoughts are with the victim and her family as they endure an unimaginable ordeal." — Sharon Owens, Syracuse Mayor
The investigation that led to DeSantis's arrest began after deputies responded to reports of an adult finding DeSantis with the 12-year-old girl inside a rental vehicle in a LaFayette parking lot. According to authorities, another adult familiar with the child approached the vehicle, at which point DeSantis allegedly fled the scene before law enforcement arrived. Subsequent review of digital communications between DeSantis and the minor revealed messages indicating that sexual contact had occurred. Detectives identified DeSantis, 45, as the suspect and arrested him. He is currently being held without bail at the Onondaga County Justice Center.
DeSantis worked as a traffic maintenance crew leader for the City of Syracuse’s Department of Public Works. City payroll records confirm his employment with the city since 2016. His status as a New York Level 3 registered sex offender, the state’s highest risk classification, indicates that he is considered to have a high risk of reoffending and poses a significant threat to public safety. State records further show a history of convictions related to minors; in 2004, he received a probation sentence for a third-degree rape conviction, and in 2005, he was sentenced to five years in prison following a second-degree rape conviction, both involving 14-year-old victims.
Authorities have charged DeSantis with 10 felonies and three misdemeanors, including attempted first-degree rape, luring a child to commit a felony, first-degree sexual abuse, aggravated sexual abuse, first-degree stalking, disseminating indecent material to a minor, coercion, obscenity, and acting in a manner injurious to a child. Court records indicate that DeSantis has pleaded not guilty to several of these charges.
Mayor Sharon Owens publicly addressed the situation, stating that DeSantis was terminated immediately following his arrest. She expressed the city's concern for the victim and her family. The mayor also announced that the city would conduct a thorough review of its hiring policies, including an expansion of criminal background checks for city employees. Owens noted that prior to this incident, background checks were generally only mandated for employees in the police department, parks department, and certain building trades positions.
The case has brought significant scrutiny to the city’s hiring practices, particularly how DeSantis was employed by the city in 2016 despite his prior convictions and Level 3 sex offender status. City officials have not yet provided public details regarding the information considered during DeSantis’s hiring process or the specifics of how his employment was approved. Some reports have suggested that Syracuse’s "Ban the Box" ordinance, which delays inquiries about criminal history until later in the hiring process, may have played a role. While this policy does not prevent employers from conducting background checks, it alters the timing of when such information is reviewed. Mayor Owens affirmed that the city’s review would examine existing hiring procedures to determine if additional background checks or safeguards are necessary for future hires.
The sheriff’s office has indicated that, given the nature of the alleged online communications and DeSantis’s prior criminal history, investigators believe there may be additional victims. Authorities are urging anyone with information, or anyone who believes they or someone they know may have had similar contact with DeSantis, to contact detectives at 315-435-3081, assuring that all calls will remain confidential as the investigation continues.
