Troy resident Brian Botsford, 24, is behind bars on federal charges after allegedly traveling to meet and have sex with a 13-year-old girl—except the girl didn’t exist. The sting, orchestrated by the FBI, ended with Botsford’s arrest in Cohoes, New York, on August 10, 2020, capping a weeks-long digital trail of sexually explicit messages.
According to the criminal complaint, Botsford exchanged graphic texts with an undercover investigator posing as a minor, beginning July 14, 2020. Authorities say Botsford initiated and escalated the conversations, making clear his intent to engage in sexual acts with the purported child. Believing he was meeting the girl in person, Botsford drove from Troy to a predetermined location in Cohoes—where FBI agents and task force officers were waiting.
He was taken into custody without incident and formally charged with attempted enticement of a child, a federal offense carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison. The maximum fine stands at $250,000, with a supervised release term of no less than 5 years and potentially lasting the rest of his life if convicted.
Botsford appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christian Hummel for an initial hearing and waived his right to a detention hearing—for now. That decision is subject to renewal, meaning prosecutors or the defense may revisit the issue as the case progresses. The defendant remains in federal custody as proceedings move forward.
The investigation was led by the FBI’s Albany Field Office and its Child Exploitation Task Force, with support from the Colonie Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Williams is handling the prosecution. U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and FBI Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Relford confirmed the charges, stressing the ongoing threat posed by predators using digital platforms to target minors.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Justice Department initiative aimed at dismantling networks of child exploitation. The program combines federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts to identify, arrest, and convict offenders who use the internet to prey on children. Anyone with information about Brian Botsford or similar crimes is urged to contact the FBI Albany Field Office at (518) 465-7551.
Related Federal Cases
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- Jeffrey Weber Charged With Attempted Enticement of Minor · New York
- Syracuse Man Derek Indivero, 25, Arrested on Child Sex Enticement Charges · New York
- Cody Mann Pleads Guilty to Child Enticement in Bloomingburg · New Jersey
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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