Albany Man Charged with Distributing and Receiving Child Pornography

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael J. Kurtz, age 55, of Albany, was arrested on Monday on charges that he distributed and received child pornography over the internet.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

According to a criminal complaint, between September 29, 2018 and December 1, 2018, Kurtz received and distributed images of child pornography through a peer-to-peer file sharing program on his home computer.  An initial forensic review of his computer revealed that it contained numerous files depicting child pornography.  The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Yesterday, Kurtz appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, who ordered him detained pending further proceedings.

If convicted, Kurtz faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a term of post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life, and a fine of up to $250,000. 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.

This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.