Chemung County Man Convicted of Receiving, Possessing and Distributing Child Pornography

     ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal jury has convicted Terry M. Dickinson, 55, of Millport, N.Y., of distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.  The charges carry a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, a $500,000 fine or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Lee, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that an undercover agent in Elmira, N.Y., downloaded child pornography from the defendant, through a peer-to-peer software program, in June and July of 2010.  Agents executed a search warrant at Dickinson’s residence in August 2010 and seized items of digital media, including computers, thumb drives and memory cards. A forensic analysis determined that the memory cards contained images and videos of child pornography.

The search warrant led to the discovery of a notebook containing handwritten notes that appeared to detail the defendant's sexual encounters with children.

“A study has shown that a significant percentage of people convicted of child pornography crimes have in fact been involved in hands on crimes against children,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “Were it not for the investigation into Dickinson’s online activities, none of his real world actions might ever haven been known.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood.  In February 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The conviction is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, investigators and troopers of the New York State Police, Troop E, under the direction of Major Scott Crosier; and deputies and Investigators from the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office under the direction of Sheriff Christopher Moss.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 3, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.