September 27, 2025 BROOKLYN, NY — A devastating blow has been dealt to the Brooklyn youth sports community after a popular Catholic basketball commissioner and coach was arrested on federal charges this week, accused of paying multiple minors to produce and share horrific sexually explicit material.
Michael Jafferakos, who was a key figure in the Our Lady of Grace Gravesend Athletic Association since 2017, was taken into custody on September 25 after a raid on his Brooklyn home by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents.
Investigators allege Jafferakos admitted to a horrifying scheme that saw him pay multiple young victims for explicit content between July 2024 and September 2025. This disturbing operation allegedly included at least one player he met through the very church-run basketball program he helped oversee.
The 'Electric Bike' Payoff and the Mystery Man 'Anthony'
Court documents filed in the Eastern District of New York paint a chilling picture of how the alleged abuse was orchestrated.
According to the criminal complaint, Jafferakos was allegedly acting at the direction of another individual, identified only as “Anthony,” who reportedly sent him cash via Zelle in exchange for the illicit materials.
The details regarding one young victim—a 14-year-old player from the church basketball team—are particularly alarming:
- Social Media Scouting: Special Agent Rachel Kidd of HSI alleges that “Anthony” spotted the victim on the basketball program’s Instagram account and instructed Jafferakos to approach the teen.
- The Bribe: Jafferakos allegedly told the victim that "Anthony" would purchase him an electronic bicycle in exchange for producing child sexual abuse material.
- Recent Activity: Investigators seized at least nine electronic devices from Jafferakos' home and found hundreds of illicit images and videos. Agent Kidd noted that videos of the teen, engaging in sexually explicit conduct, were allegedly airdropped to the coach’s iPhone at 9 p.m. as recently as September 22.
- Church Basement Massage: The complaint further details a 16-minute video allegedly found on the coach's iPhone, which showed Jafferakos giving the same teen a massage in the basement of the church building where he worked, with the teen wearing only underwear. This video was also allegedly recorded on September 22.
Jafferakos is also accused of sharing the files in a Telegram group, expanding the reach of the illegal operation.
A Second Victim and Cross-Country Payments
The federal complaint outlines allegations involving a second victim, a 14-year-old from Wisconsin, whose mother alerted local police on September 19, 2024, after discovering her son had been sending sexually explicit videos to an individual.
