Virginia State Police have reason to believe that a suspect in a child pornography case may have posed as a private cheerleading coach in order to target young girls. 38-year-old Jason Fragale was arrested in February at the Orlando International Airport as he was attempting to leave the country. He is facing 10 felony charges related to child pornography after a joint investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Virginia State Police, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
According to a criminal complaint, Fragale allegedly uploaded several images that are believed to be child pornography to the messaging app Kik, where he also made disturbing comments about being a pedophile and wanting to sexually assault a child. He operated the Crimson All-Star Cheerleading Club out of an office in Reston Town Center and used an alias, Jason Mariani, in addition to having business cards with ‘USA Cheer’ on them.
However, records show that the business is defunct and no longer has an office at Reston Town Center, leading investigators to question if the business was ever legitimate or just a scheme to lure young girls. Fragale has not been charged in connection to the cheerleading business, but the police are urging anyone who had interactions with him under the alias Jason Mariani to come forward.
Police are concerned that Fragale may have attempted to lure young girls to the Reston office under the guise of cheerleading coaching, modeling, or measurements. Fragale kept residences in Florida and Leesburg and was extradited to Loudoun County, where he is due in court in July. The Virginia State Police Special Agent Mike Bullock emphasized the importance of talking to children who may have come into contact with Fragale and reporting any interactions they may have had with him.