Essex County Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of Children

PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Logan Lafountain, age 27, of Essex County, New York, pled guilty today to sexually exploiting two children and possessing child pornography. 

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino of the Buffalo Field Office; and Acting New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.

Lafountain admitted that in 2021 and 2022, he sexually abused two girls between the ages of 6 and 8 years old and used his phone to photograph the victims’ genitals.  Lafountain further admitted that along with the images he produced, he possessed images of other prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2024.  Lafountain faces at least 15 and up to 80 years in prison, 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 statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The judge may also order Lafountain to pay restitution to the victims of his offenses.  Lafountain will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

HSI and NYSP investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Kopita is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s 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.