A New York City college professor who lives in Manhasset was arrested Tuesday after an online undercover investigation of child exploitation, Nassau County police said.
Ashok Vora, 70, of Hillcrest Ave., was arrested without incident on Tuesday and charged with attempted disseminating indecent material to a minor.
Nassau County Special Victims Bureau in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations conducted an online undercover operation and, on Feb. 12, an agent posing as an 11-year-old girl was contacted by Vora.
Vora directed the agent to an online chat room, exposing himself via web camera and engaging in sexual conversation with the agent, county police said.
Vora also serves as a professor in the Bert W. Wasserman Department of Economics and Finance at Baruch College in Manhattan, the school confirmed Thursday.
“Baruch College became aware yesterday of the arrest and arraignment of Dr. Ashok Vora, a professor in the Department of Economics and Finance,” college officials said in a statement. “The college takes these charges very seriously, and we will fully cooperate with law enforcement authorities in their investigation.”
Vora was arraigned Wednesday in First District Court in Hempstead and was released on $5,000 cash. He is due in court on Friday.
Detectives request anyone that has been contacted online by Vora, who allegedly goes by the online username KevinNY, to contact the Special Victims Bureau at (516) 573-4022.
Reach reporter Amelia Camurati by email at acamurati@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516-307-1045, ext. 215, or follow her on Twitter @acamurati.
