Spencerport Teacher Arrested On Child Pornography Charges

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Charles Kane, 46, of Spencerport, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, a maximum of life, a $250,000 fine or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was arrested today as he attempted to meet with a person he thought was a 14 year old girl. Kane, a middle school teacher in the Rochester area, had in his possession a box of condoms, according to the complaint.

The complaint further indicates that in October 2014, the defendant posted an ad on Craigslist which read “daddy/daughter. Love younger women.” A law enforcement officer, working in an undercover capacity, posed as the father of a young daughter and conversed with Kane online for the next several months.

On January 26, 2015, another undercover officer noticed a sexually explicit ad on Craigslist which was traced back, once again, to the defendant. The officer responded to the ad in the persona of a 14 year old girl. Kane responded “down with it.” The defendant asked the girl where she lived and said he wanted to meet her. The two remained in contact through March of 2015. During online chats, Kane sent the officer photos of himself and repeatedly asked for photos of the 14 year old girl. Also during the chats, the defendant repeatedly discussed engaging in sexually explicit activity with the child and traveling to and meeting with the child for sexual purposes. One message read “I could get a room and I could sneak you there.” Kane acknowledged that he could het in “big trouble” and told the girl “this is between you and me.”

Following repeated requests, the girl agreed to meet the defendant at a theatre in Webster on April 2, 2015.         

The criminal complaint is the culmination of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Craig Hanesworth and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.