Jeffrey Wawrzyniak, 40, of Batavia, New York, has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, a charge that has left his community reeling in shock.
According to court documents, Wawrzyniak’s guilty plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leslie G. Foschio. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, Jr., who is handling the case, stated that during the execution of a search warrant at the defendant’s home in Batavia, law enforcement officers recovered more than 750 graphic files of child pornography and four video files. The search warrant was obtained after law enforcement officers, using an undercover computer with peer to peer software, downloaded several image files of child pornography from Wawrzyniak’s computer.
The 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.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-In-Charge James C. Spero. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
As a part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with local, state, and federal law enforcement to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative has resulted in the prosecution of numerous individuals who have exploited children via the Internet.
Batavia residents are expressing their outrage and disappointment at Wawrzyniak’s guilty plea. ‘This is a heinous crime that has shaken our community to its core,’ said one resident. ‘We expect justice to be served for the victims of this crime.’
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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