Former Jimmy's bar owner faces 19 years in jail

James Collins Jr., pictured in a 2024 mugshot, was sentenced to 19 years in prison for unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

By MARTIN WILBUR

The former local coach, camp counselor and school employee accused of sexually abusing minors locally dating back to the 1970s was sentenced last week to 19 years in prison for attempting to lure underage individuals.

James Collins Jr., 69, of Bedford Hills, a former owner of the old Katonah bar Jimmy’s on Bedford Road, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nelson Roman on Oct. 31 in White Plains in connection with incidents two years ago.

Collins was arrested by New Castle police detectives on Nov. 7, 2023, at the Chappaqua Public Library. He was charged with third-degree sexual act for attempting to persuade an individual acting in an undercover capacity who was posing online as a 15-year-old boy to meet and engage in unlawful sexual activities, according to the federal criminal complaint filed on Jan. 23, 2024. 

The defendant, while out on bail in connection with that arrest, was apprehended by federal authorities on Jan. 24, 2024, for enticing a 17-year-old Illinois boy to send photos and videos of himself engaging in sexual activity via social media. He pleaded guilty to the federal charges of enticing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity and sexual exploitation of a minor. 

“This case underlines the urgent need for law enforcement to continue its efforts to protect children from those who prey on them,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said at the time of Collins’ second arrest. “As (this) arrest shows, we will use every tool available to law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those alleged to have sexually exploited children.” 

Calls to the U.S. Attorney’s press office in Manhattan overseeing the Southern District of New York were not returned this week.

Collins’ activities were also the subject of a civil case settled earlier this year that had been filed under New York State’s Child Victims Act. The 16 plaintiffs sued the Village of Mount Kisco, the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester and the Chappaqua Central School District, accusing them of allowing Collins to groom, harass and molest preteen and teenage boys, starting in the 1970s and continuing into the 1990s. 

Collins had been a Little League baseball coach and camp counselor in Mount Kisco and also had been an employee for the Boys & Girls Club and Chappaqua schools. Settlements were reached in late 2024 into early this year between the 16 accusers and the entities. Details of the settlement are confidential.

Jenny Lauro, one of the attorneys from the Manly, Stewart & Finaldi law firm of Irvine, Calif. that represented the victims in the civil case, said her clients are relieved at the news that Collins will face justice after perpetrating decades of abuse.

“A lot of these clients felt guilt and shame when they were minors themselves, and the idea that Collins will never be able to harm, touch, be in contact with another minor is certainly a part of that,” Lauro said.

One of his local victims, in a statement made through his attorneys, said he was grateful that the Department of Justice took up the criminal case.

“Collins started abusing me when I was 13 years old and has been alleged to have sexually abused children for nearly five decades,” said plaintiff Greg Ardanowski. “He would never have met many of these children if the Village of Mount Kisco and the Boys & Girls Club had not employed him, given him access to kids and ignored many red flags. This must never be allowed to happen again.”

Lauro stopped short of saying that the civil suit helped focus attention on Collins’ activities, but they did highlight the danger to authorities.

“The clients initially made, in more recent times, made a report to law enforcement,” she said. “Whether or not that had an effect on law enforcement taking a closer look at Collins, I can’t say. I think the judge at the sentencing hearing acknowledged our civil case and pointed that our civil case, Collins’ lack of honesty and accountability is further evidence of his ongoing danger, and not only did he reoffend once, but he reoffended twice during the pendency of our lawsuit. I think that was one of the reasons for the harsher sentence.”

Collins received credit for almost two years served for being incarcerated since his January 2024 arrest. If he survives the entirety of his prison term, he is then subject to five years of supervised release.