A New York couple has been arrested and accused of plotting to babysit children as a cover to drug and sexually abuse them, federal prosecutors said.
Special agents with the FBI and NYPD detectives arrested Bebars Baslan, 35, and Kristen Henry, 25, Tuesday night at a hotel in Jersey City, N.J. Prosecutors say they believed they were going there to meet an acquaintance and three children, including a 1-year-old and a 3-month-old baby, that the group was planning to drug with children's Benadryl and take sexually explicit photos.
Prosecutors say that acquaintance was actually an informant who had contacted authorities last month to report that the couple possessed child pornography and were planning to open a babysitting business to find victims to abuse.
According to the criminal complaint, the informant then began working with the FBI to record phone calls and obtain other evidence.
In one recorded conversation, Baslan allegedly told the informant about drugging children before abusing them: "Trust me, all what I'm doing, nothing is going to be, no memories, nothing."
The meeting planned for Jersey City was so that Baslan could get incriminating pictures of Henry before they began the business, the complaint said. He wanted collateral, and wanted to take pictures of her sexually abusing the baby.
When the informant said he was concerned about the effect of the abuse on the baby, Baslan allegedly told him "if it's one minute he won't even know what's going on."
The pair are charged with aggravated sexual abuse and face 30 years to life in prison. Their lawyers had no comment.