Source: Office of United States Attorneys
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Francis T. DiCaprio, age 29, of Amsterdam, New York, was ordered detained today on charges that he received and possessed 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).
According to a criminal complaint, on February 15, 2024, DiCaprio possessed a phone that contained numerous electronic files depicting the sexual abuse of children. The complaint also alleges that the phone contained a conversation on an encrypted instant messaging service wherein the apparent owner of the device solicited and received child pornography files. The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted of the charges in the complaint, DiCaprio faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. DiCaprio may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his offenses and forfeit the device used in the offenses. DiCaprio would also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The case is being investigated by FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes FBI Special Agents and investigators from state and local law enforcement agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mikayla Espinosa and Allen J. Vickey are 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), and is designed to marshal 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.