Two St. Lawrence County Residents Charged with the Sexual Exploitation of Children

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Stacey J. LaPorte, Jr, 26, and Mackenzie Bailey, 20, both of Massena, New York, appeared today in federal court following their arrest on an Indictment alleging they conspired to, and did engage in the sexual exploitation of minors, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian.  The Indictment unsealed today charges Bailey and LaPorte with conspiracy to sexually exploit a minor child born in 2014, and two counts of sexually exploiting that child on two specific dates in 2016.  In addition, LaPorte is charged with a fourth count relating to his exploitation of two children, one born in 2003, the other in 1999, on a specific date in 2016.

Each of the charges filed against LaPorte and Bailey carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, a maximum sentence of 30 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, and registration as a sex offender.  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.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty

The defendants were arraigned today in Syracuse, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge David E. Peebles.  Stacey J. LaPorte was ordered detained.  Mackenzie Bailey was ordered detained pending a detention hearing, scheduled for Wednesday November 2, 2016.

This case is being investigated by the New York State Police, the Massena Police Department, and Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa M. Fletcher and Sahar Amandolare, as a part of Project Safe Childhood.  Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States 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.