Defendant’s Despicable Acts Exposed

ALBANY, NEW YORK – 30-year-old Francis T. DiCaprio, of Amsterdam, has been brought to justice for distributing and possessing child pornography. This disturbing case was made public yesterday, with Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, making the announcement.

DiCaprio admitted to using messaging applications from June 2023 through February 2024 to receive and distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He stored the CSAM on his cell phone and repeatedly lied to others about sexually abusing an 8-year-old child he knew. This heinous lie is especially abhorrent, given the severity of the crime.

Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III expressed his gratitude to the FBI for their swift action in apprehending DiCaprio. He stated, “DiCaprio committed these abhorrent crimes while vividly describing sexual abuse he fantasized about inflicting on a child he knew. I am grateful to the FBI for finding this disgusting and dangerous individual, getting him off the street and away from children, and bringing him to justice.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli added, “Mr. DiCaprio’s guilty plea ensures he will now spend years in federal prison for his despicable actions. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to swiftly investigate any individual who knowingly possesses and distributes detrimental images that re-victimize our most vulnerable every time they are circulated.”

At his sentencing on December 15, 2025, DiCaprio faces a term of imprisonment of at least 5 years and up to 20 years for the distribution count and up to 20 years for the possession count. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. Furthermore, DiCaprio will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

This case is being investigated by FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes FBI Special Agents and investigators from state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Rotterdam Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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