A Stamford man has been indicted for allegedly meeting a 16-year-old on a dating app and giving him recreational drugs before sexually exploiting him — offenses authorities say were recorded on video.
Rick Marro, 44, appeared in federal court in New Haven on Nov. 6 and pleaded not guilty to the charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut said in a statement Thursday.
Marro was arrested on a federal criminal complaint in January 2024, officials said. A grand jury returned an indictment against him on Oct. 15, charging him with production of child pornography, receipt and distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography, according to authorities.
The investigation began in August 2023 after a 16-year-old told authorities he had allegedly been sexually exploited by Marro, officials said. The teen said he met him on a dating app before they began communicating over Snapchat in April 2023.
According to officials, the teen alleges that he went to Marro’s home on multiple occasions where they engaged in sexual encounters. The teen further alleges Marro gave him “poppers” — a recreational drug — and that Marro was “into” asphyxiation, officials said. On one occasion, the teen told authorities Marro allegedly strangled him before he passed out for a minute or two, according to authorities.
When investigators reviewed the teen’s Snapchat account they allegedly found that Marro had sent him videos that he recorded of the encounters, authorities said. Authorities also allegedly found a video showing Marro choking the teen.
Investigators also seized Marro’s phone and examined it, allegedly finding the same videos that were sent over Snapchat, officials said. They also allegedly found text messages Marro sent someone saying he “choked (the teen) all the way to unconscious today by accident,” federal officials said.
Marro has been detained since his arrest. He is scheduled to go to trial in August 2026.
According to officials, he faces mandatory minimum sentences of five and 15 years if he were to be convicted of all the charges and a maximum of 60 years behind bars.