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Ex-School Counselor In Capital Region Filmed Sexually Explicit Content Of Child For Years Ex-School Counselor In Capital Region Filmed Sexually Explicit Content Of Child For Years
Ex-School Counselor In Capital Region Filmed Sexually Explicit Content Of Child For Years A former middle school guidance counselor in the region confessed to repeatedly taking sexually explicit photos of a child beginning when the victim was just 9 years old. Albany County resident Kristy Koldis, age 46, of Latham, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child in Albany federal court on Monday, June 3. Koldis, a former counselor at Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School in Albany and professor at Russell Sage College in Troy, admitted that she repeatedly took sexually explicit content depicting the victim’s genitals. The abuse continued until the child was 13. Earli…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Toddlers, Infants Among Hundreds Of Child Sex Abuse Images In Capital Region Man's Possession Toddlers, Infants Among Hundreds Of Child Sex Abuse Images In Capital Region Man's Possession
Toddlers, Infants Among Hundreds Of Child Sex Abuse Images In Capital Region Man's Possession A 26-year-old man from the region faces years in federal prison after he was caught with hundreds of images depicting child sex abuse. Greene County resident Drew Caswell, of Cairo, pleaded guilty to receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography in Albany federal court on Wednesday, May 29. According to prosecutors, Caswell confessed to using a file-hosting service to download child pornography and then shared numerous photos and videos on X, formerly Twitter. He also admitted to possessing illicit images on his cell phone, including nearly 300 pictures and videos of toddlers…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Capital Region Child Predator Admits Blackmailing Kids Into Sending Nude Images Capital Region Child Predator Admits Blackmailing Kids Into Sending Nude Images
Capital Region Child Predator Admits Blackmailing Kids Into Sending Nude Images A convicted child sex abuser from the region will spend decades in federal prison after confessing that he blackmailed young kids into sending nude images. Rensselaer County resident Zachary Cota, age 31, of Castleton-on-Hudson, pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography in Albany federal court on Friday, May 10. According to prosecutors, Cota admitted to using SnapChat to get three children to send him nude photos. Two of the victims were 8 and 13 years old. Once the children provided the requested photos, he reportedly threatened to reveal what they had done in order to get more illic…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Child Porn Charges: Capital Region Man Busted With Illicit Photos, Videos, Feds Say Child Porn Charges: Capital Region Man Busted With Illicit Photos, Videos, Feds Say
Child Porn Charges: Capital Region Man Busted With Illicit Photos, Videos, Feds Say Federal prosecutors are pursuing child pornography charges against a man from the region after he allegedly sent and received numerous illicit images of children.  Taykwun Smoaks, age 32, of Albany, was arraigned on charges that he distributed, received, and possessed child pornography in Albany federal court on Friday, April 12. According to investigators, Smoaks sent and received images and videos of child pornography over the internet between February and March 2023. The illicit images were reportedly found on both his computer and an external hard drive. If convicted, he face…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Capital Region Man Admits Blackmailing Underage Girls Into Sending Sexually Explicit Images Capital Region Man Admits Blackmailing Underage Girls Into Sending Sexually Explicit Images
Capital Region Man Admits Blackmailing Underage Girls Into Sending Sexually Explicit Images Years in federal prison await a man from the region who confessed to blackmailing underage girls into sending him sexually explicit images. Richard Nejame, age 29, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of receiving and attempting to receive child pornography in Albany federal court on Thursday, April 11. Prosecutors said Nejame messaged several underage girls on social media apps, including Snapchat, while pretending to be a teenage boy between October 2022 and May 2023. As part of his guilty plea, he admitted that he then convinced the girls to take nude pictures and videos of…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Posing As Teen To Get Underage Nudes Nets Capital Region Man Decades In Prison Posing As Teen To Get Underage Nudes Nets Capital Region Man Decades In Prison
Posing As Teen To Get Underage Nudes Nets Capital Region Man Decades In Prison After confessing that he posed as a teenager in order to trick underage girls into sending naked pictures, a man from the region will spend decades in prison. Schenectady resident Thomas Ullman, age 47, was sentenced to 25 years behind bars in Albany federal court on Thursday, March 28. It followed his guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a child. Federal prosecutors said Ullman posed as a teenage boy on a dating website for teens and convinced multiple underage girls to text and video chat with him between March 2020 and June 2021. He then instructed the girls, some as young as 13, to en…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Thousands Of Child Porn Photos, Videos Found On Capital Region Man's Computer Thousands Of Child Porn Photos, Videos Found On Capital Region Man's Computer
Thousands Of Child Porn Photos, Videos Found On Capital Region Man's Computer A man from the region could spend decades behind bars after being found with thousands of images depicting child sex abuse. Albany County resident Scott Weinbloom, age 49, of Latham, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography in Albany federal court on Thursday, Feb. 1. According to prosecutors, a search of Weinbloom’s Latham residence in May 2022 turned up 1,300 photos and 1,500 videos of child pornography that had been stored on a USB flash drive. Investigators also found two computers that had been used to store and view the illicit images. Weinbloom faces up to 20 years in federal…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Child Pornography Found On Capital Region Man's Phone, Feds Say Child Pornography Found On Capital Region Man's Phone, Feds Say
Child Pornography Found On Capital Region Man's Phone, Feds Say A 41-year-old man from the region could spend years in prison after he was allegedly caught with child pornography, authorities said. Saratoga County resident Christopher Barry, of Saratoga Springs, was arrested and arraigned in federal court in Albany on Thursday, June 22. According to the US Attorney’s Office in the Northern District, Barry received sexually explicit images of children between June 2021 and January 2022. Investigators also found child pornography on two of his cell phones in February 2023, prosecutors said. Barry was charged with receipt and possession of child pornog…

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by Michael Mashburn
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14-Year-Old Would Be Harmed If She Didn't Send Nudes, Capital Region Man Threatened: Police 14-Year-Old Would Be Harmed If She Didn't Send Nudes, Capital Region Man Threatened: Police
14-Year-Old Would Be Harmed If She Didn't Send Nudes, Capital Region Man Threatened: Police A man from the region is facing federal sex crimes charges after he allegedly coerced underage girls into sending him sexual images, authorities said. Richard Nejame, age 27, of Schenectady, was arraigned in federal court in Albany on Monday, May 1, on charges of sexual exploitation of a child and communicating a threat to injure. According to the US Attorney’s Office in the Northern District, Nejame chatted with several underage girls through a messaging app between October 2022 and May 2023. During one exchange, he threatened a 14-year-old Florida girl that “bad people” would come and h…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Sex Offender From Area Who Drove 150 Miles To Rape 10-Year-Old Found Guilty Sex Offender From Area Who Drove 150 Miles To Rape 10-Year-Old Found Guilty
Sex Offender From Area Who Drove 150 Miles To Rape 10-Year-Old Found Guilty A convicted sex offender from the region with a history of abusing young children is facing decades in prison for attempting to coerce a 10-year-old for sex. Rensselaer County resident Charles Wager, age 55, of the village of Castleton-on-Hudson in the town of Schodack, was found guilty of attempting to entice a minor into engaging in unlawful sexual activities in federal court in Utica on Thursday, Feb. 2. Prosecutors said Wager exchanged thousands of sexually explicit text messages with who he thought was a 10-year-old girl and her mother, in January and February 2021. He sent nude phot…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Capital District Man Admits To Receiving, Possessing Child Porn Capital District Man Admits To Receiving, Possessing Child Porn
Capital District Man Admits To Receiving, Possessing Child Porn A man from the Capital District is facing years in prison after admitting to possessing child pornography. Rensselaer County resident Derek Luch, age 50, of Troy, pleaded guilty Tuesday, June 14, to receiving and possessing the illegal material, according to the US Attorney’s Office in the North District. Luch admitted that between May and October 2021 he used a file sharing service to download and receive numerous images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, prosecutors said. He also copped to having the material when he was arrested in November 2021. Luch now faces bet…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Capital District Man Sentenced For Sexually Exploiting 5-Year-Old Child Capital District Man Sentenced For Sexually Exploiting 5-Year-Old Child
Capital District Man Sentenced For Sexually Exploiting 5-Year-Old Child A Capital District man will spend the next two decades in federal prison for sexually exploiting a young child. Schenectady resident Ronald Horton, age 24, was sentenced to 20 years behind bars Wednesday, June 8, according to the US Attorney’s Office in the North District. He had previously pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a 5-year-old child. Prosecutors said he admitted to recording multiple videos showing him sexually abusing the child and then uploaded the videos to an online blog. Once he’s released, Horton will have to complete 15 years of supervised release. He must also regist…

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by Michael Mashburn
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Capital District Man Accused Of Possessing Child Pornography Capital District Man Accused Of Possessing Child Pornography
Capital District Man Accused Of Possessing Child Pornography A man from the Capital District is facing serious prison time after he was allegedly found with sexually explicit images of children. Latham resident Scott Weinbloom, age 47, was arrested Friday, May 20, on a federal charge of possessing child pornography, according to the US Attorney’s Office in the North District. The illegal images and videos were found on an encrypted thumb drive that was found in his home Wednesday, May 18, prosecutors said. Weinbloom appeared in federal court in Albany, where a judge ordered him detained while he awaits trial. If convicted, he could spend up to 20 …

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by Michael Mashburn
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Former Hudson Valley Resident, Age 24, Sentenced For Child Porn Former Hudson Valley Resident, Age 24, Sentenced For Child Porn
Former Hudson Valley Resident, Age 24, Sentenced For Child Porn A 24-year-old has been sentenced for possessing and receiving child porn, federal authorities announced. Long Island resident Jacob Delaney, age 24, of Holtsville, was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for receiving and possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the FBI on Thursday, May 12. As part of his guilty plea, Delaney admitted that between about September 2018 and December 12, 2019, as a resident of Ulster County, in the to…

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by Joe Lombardi
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29-Year-Old From Region Sentenced For Distributing, Receiving Child Porn Images, Videos 29-Year-Old From Region Sentenced For Distributing, Receiving Child Porn Images, Videos
29-Year-Old From Region Sentenced For Distributing, Receiving Child Porn Images, Videos A man from the region will spend the next decade in federal prison for possessing child pornography. Ulster County resident Anthony Hadden, age 29, of Modena, was sentenced Friday, April 29 to 121 months behind bars after pleading guilty to possessing, distributing, receiving, and transporting child pornography, the US Attorney’s Office said. Federal prosecutors said Hadden admitted to using a group messaging app on his phone to send and receive the material. His phone also contained numerous images and videos showing minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, prosecutors said. Followin…

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by Michael Mashburn