Sex Offender Convicted of Sexually Exploiting a Child

On September 16, 2026, a jury convicted Terry Mead, Jr., age 51, of Watervliet, New York of sexual exploitation of a child while under a duty to register as a sex offender, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.  

First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office Craig Tremaroli, and Watervliet Police Chief William Rice made the announcement.

The evidence at trial established that, on March 3, 2025, the defendant sexually exploited a four-year-old child for a few minutes while the child was in his care. He took two sexually explicit photographs of the child in which the child’s genitals are displayed in a lewd and lascivious manner. The defendant sent one of those pictures to a third party via text messaging, which ultimately led to his arrest. As a result of his convictions, the defendant is facing a mandatory minimum term of 35 years in prison and a maximum of 170 years. The penalties also include a maximum fine of $250,000, restitution to the victim, registration as a sex offender, and special assessments. 

First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone stated, “This week, Terry Mead Jr., a registered sex offender, exercised his right to a trial. Working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, the jury swiftly convicted him of all counts in the superseding indictment, including sexually exploiting a child and distributing an image of his horrific crime. Now Mr. Mead will have decades in prison to reflect on the pain he caused the child in this case. We expect him to likely spend the rest of his life in prison so he can no longer harm children. This administration will continue to prosecute those who prey on our community’s children to the fullest extent of the law.”

“FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force worked tirelessly on this investigation to pursue justice for the young victim and ensure Mr. Mead was held accountable for his disgusting abuse,” said Craig Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albany Field Office. “With the jury’s conviction, this sick predator will likely spend the rest of his life in federal prison – a fate he undeniably deserves. The FBI will continue to work in lockstep with our partners from the Watervliet Police Department and all our partners at every level of law enforcement to relentlessly investigate any predator who seeks to harm our most vulnerable.”

Watervliet Police Chief William Rice stated “This case involved the exploitation of a young child who was entrusted to the defendant’s care. Our detectives worked closely with the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force throughout this investigation, and I want to commend the investigators and federal prosecutors for their dedication to ensuring that the evidence was thoroughly investigated and presented in court. The conviction holds the defendant accountable for his actions and, most importantly, provides a measure of justice for the child and the child’s family. The Watervliet Police Department will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to protect children and aggressively investigate anyone who exploits them.”

The Albany FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Watervliet Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Kopita and Carling Dunham are prosecuting the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood program.  

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.