Rochester Man Pleads Guilty in Sex Trafficking Case

       ROCHESTER, N.Y.—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr., announced today that Daniel Tanck, 32, of Rochester, N.Y., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr., to sex trafficking of a minor. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $250,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Lee, who is handling the case, stated that Tanck placed an ad on Backpage.com for a minor female victim to engage in prostitution activities. The defendant took pictures of the victim for the Backpage.com ad at his residence on Emerson Street in Rochester. Tanck also transported the victim for outcalls to service customers.

Tanck was arrested along with Robert Palermo. Charges are pending against Palermo. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the FBI's Cyber Crimes Task Force, which includes the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Patrick O'Flynn, the Rochester Police Department under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli, and Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Monroe County District Attorney's Office, under the direction of Sandra Doorley.