Glenville Man Indicted for Distributing and Possessing Child Pornography

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Glenn Mears, age 44, of Glenville, New York, was indicted yesterday for distributing and possessing child pornography.

The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kelly of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office.

The indictment charges Mears with 1 count of distributing and 10 counts of possessing child pornography. As alleged in the indictment, the images and videos possessed by Mears included those of prepubescent children and children under 12 years old. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Mears was arrested on June 27, 2017 on a criminal complaint, and will be arraigned on the indictment at a later date. If convicted on all counts, Mears faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison. Mears also faces a term of post-imprisonment supervised release 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 is being investigated by HSI and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus P.W. Rieck.

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/.