Fort Edward Man Arrested for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

ALBANY, NEW YORK - James J. Mattison, age 46, of Fort Edward, New York, appeared today in federal court on charges that he sexually exploited a child.

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

United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart ordered Mattison detained pending further proceedings.

The complaint filed against Mattison alleges that in October 2016, he communicated with a 13-year-old boy using both text messages and the Live.me phone application. The complaint further alleges that Mattison pretended to be a teenage girl named Megan, and coerced the victim into taking and sending sexually explicit photographs of himself by threatening to commit suicide if the victim refused. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted of the charge in the complaint, Mattison faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and a maximum $250,000 fine. 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 is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. Giovannetti.

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/.