Johnsonville Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving and Possessing Child Pornography

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Keith Bleau, age 51, of Johnsonville, New York, pled guilty today to receiving and possessing child pornography.

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.

As part of his guilty plea, Bleau admitted that between November 1, 2016 and May 15, 2017, he used the Internet and file-sharing software to download child pornography videos.  Bleau possessed about 25 video files containing child pornography.  

Bleau faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, to be followed by supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and a maximum $250,000 fine, when he is sentenced on March 20, 2018 by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. A sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.  Bleau would also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss.

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/.