Trial of Manhattan man arrested on child abuse charges begins Tuesday

A local man previously arrested for child sex crimes is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday for the start of a three-day jury trial.

Tristian Gooden-Heit, 29, was arrested in August 2022 on 15 counts of sexual exploitation of a child and several counts of computer crime, interference with law enforcement and tampering with evidence.

Gooden-Heit allegedly sent nude photos of an underage girl on the afternoon of July 26, 2022, using the girl’s boyfriend’s cell phone. He was later arrested on the charges, and a judge later ruled in January 2023 that there was a presumption of guilt in the case.

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