Broome County Man Indicted for Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Thomas Murray, age 24, was arraigned on June 22^nd on an indictment charging him with Distribution of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography.  

First Assistant 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 (FBI) and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James, made the announcement.

Murray was arraigned on Monday, June 22^nd before United States Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric and was returned to state custody where he is currently being held on state charges.  A trial on the indictment will be scheduled before United States District Court Judge Anthony J. Brindisi.  

According to the indictment, Murray distributed child pornography on a web-based messaging facility on two separate occasions in June 2024.  The indictment also alleges that Murray possessed child pornography on two different electronic devices.  The material found stemmed from a search warrant conducted on Murray’s residence on April 4, 2025, by the New York State Police, stemming from a cyber tip by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).  

“The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, together with our dedicated partners at the FBI and the New York State Police, have once again played a critical role in bringing an alleged predator into custody,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “The alleged reprehensible behavior displayed by this defendant serves as a powerful reminder that threats to our children are not abstract, they are real, persistent, and constantly evolving. I thank our partners for their tireless investigative efforts, which brought this defendant into custody so he can now face justice.”

“As alleged, Mr. Murray perpetuated the abuse of children by both possessing and distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force leveraged the full weight of our partnership with New York State Police to ensure he was brought to justice for those disturbing actions. FBI Albany remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners at every level to hold accountable any predator looking to inflict harm on our children,” said Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge FBI – Albany.

New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “Anyone engaged in acts that threaten the safety of children will be investigated for their illicit actions. The indictment is the result of great investigative synergy and clearly demonstrates that child pornography crimes will not be tolerated. With our partners in law enforcement, we will continue to investigate, develop, and implement effective response strategies to child sexual exploitation, cyber enticement, and internet crimes against children.”

Murray faces a mandatory minimum term of 5 years in federal prison on the distribution charges, a maximum term of 20 years in federal prison for the distribution and possession offenses, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory term of supervised release of between 5 years and life.  Murray would also be required to register as a sex offender if convicted of the charged offenses.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

The charge in the indictment is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  

The FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the New York State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Cheung is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. 

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.