Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Aaron Griesche, age 40, of Niskayuna, New York, pled guilty today to possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Griesche admitted that on July 11, 2021, he possessed child pornography on a USB flash memory stick found in his residence. Griesche admitted that he had purchased the memory stick from an online retailer and transferred videos of child pornography from the Internet to the device.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 10, 2024. Griesche faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The judge may also order Griesche to pay restitution to the victims of his offense and forfeit the device used in the offense. Griesche will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The FBI and the New York State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.