Alyson Cranick, Child Exploitation, Connecticut 2022

Alyson Cranick Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation

Alyson Cranick, 44, of Columbia, Connecticut, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for coercing a minor boy to engage in sexual activity.

According to court documents, Cranick used text messaging, Snapchat, and Discord to coerce the 11-year-old boy into engaging in sexually explicit conduct with her. She induced the minor victim to leave his house after midnight to meet up with her on several occasions during the summer and fall of 2022. Cranick sexually assaulted the minor victim during these meetings.

Cranick exchanged more than 4,700 messages with the minor victim on Discord between July and October 2022. Her abuse and manipulation of the minor boy left a devastating impact on the child and their family.

Cranick was arrested on November 14, 2023, on related state charges and has been detained since November 28, 2023. She was federally charged in July 2024. On November 18, 2025, Cranick pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.

The FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force and the Connecticut State Police's Eastern District Major Crime Unit investigated the case. The FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel E. Cummings and Katherine E. Boyles through the U.S. government's Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which aims to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation.

U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan thanked the State's Attorney's Office for the Judicial District of Tolland for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.

Those who suspect a child is being exploited or abused can report their concerns to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline at www.cybertipline.com or call the FBI's tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

The Project Safe Childhood Initiative is a national initiative aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/columbia-woman-who-coerced-minor-boy-engage-sex-sentenced-20-years-federal-prison