Two Men Charged in Sex Trafficking Case

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Daniel Tanck, 31, and Robert Palermo, 29, of Rochester, New York, were each charged with the felony of sex trafficking of a minor.  Sex trafficking of a minor carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.

          Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Lee stated that according to the complaint, a fourteen year old victim reported that Tanck and Palermo had placed an ad on Backpage.com for her to engage in prostitution activities.  According to the fourteen year old victim, Tanck and Palermo had taken the pictures of her for the Backpage.com ad at their residence on Emerson Street in the City of Rochester and that the two of them posted the advertisement using Tanck’s computer.  The victim alleged that both Tanck and Palermo knew that she was fourteen years of age.

          The criminal complaint was 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 James Sheppard, and Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota, and the Monroe County District Attorney's Office under the direction of Sandra Doorley.

          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.