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Press Release

Rochester Man Sentenced On Child Pornography Charge

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of New York

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

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Joshua Vandegrift, 33, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of attempted receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 13 years in prison by U.S. District Elizabeth A. Wolford.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi, who handled the case, stated that the defendant was arrested by the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office after engaging a minor in sexually explicit conversations via Facebook. Following an extensive investigation, Sheriff’s Office investigators discovered additional minors who had been victimized by Vandegrift. The victims were located and identified by members of the FBI, Corning Office. The victims included a 12-year-old female, two 13-year-old females, and a 17-year-old female. In each of the conversations, the defendant sent the victims sexually explicit images and videos of himself, and attempted to induce the victims to send him nude photographs in return.   

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Don Hilton; the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Acting Sheriff William A. Schrom; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Corning Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.

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Updated December 3, 2019

Topic
Project Safe Childhood