Albany County Man Indicted for Receiving Child Pornography

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Nicholas Sherlock, age 33, of Watervliet, New York, was ordered detained today after being indicted for receiving child pornography. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement.

The indictment, issued Tuesday, alleges that between August 2024 and May 2025, Sherlock received numerous graphic image and video files depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on a social media application via the Internet. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “As alleged, Sherlock received child sexual abuse material over the internet. This is unfortunately a type of crime that is far too common. Every day we work hard to rid our communities of people who have a sexual interest in children. All such people belong in prison.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “The allegations against Mr. Sherlock are repulsive, and the FBI is committed to dedicating every resource necessary to investigate these disturbing cases involving horrific images of our most vulnerable.”

The charge filed against Sherlock carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum term of 5 years, 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 particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Also, Sherlock would have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ 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.