Dansville Man Pleads Guilty To Production Of Child Pornography

CONTACT:        Barbara Burns              
PHONE:           (716) 843-5817
FAX:              (716) 551-3051

Buffalo, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Ryan C. Lander, 28, of Dansville, NY, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years, a fine of $250,000 or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen A. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated that between July 2011 and March 7, 2013, the defendant coerced a minor under the age of 12 to engage in sexually explicit conduct. During this conduct, Lander took pictures of the minor. The images were produced using electronic materials, including a computer.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations,  under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 14, 2015 at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.