A disturbing case of child exploitation has shaken the community in Ulster County, New York. Nicholas Rockwell, a 27-year-old resident of Hurley, has been sentenced to 210 months in prison for distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This sentence is a direct result of Rockwell’s guilty plea, which was entered into court records prior to the sentencing.
According to court documents, Rockwell admitted to using a social media messaging application to send and receive numerous child pornography videos to another man over the Internet on October 11, 2019. At the time of his federal arrest on December 19, 2019, Rockwell possessed approximately 2,000 images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children on his iPhone and in two cloud-based storage accounts.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby imposed a 20-year term of supervised release, which will follow Rockwell’s term of incarceration. Additionally, Rockwell was ordered to pay a total of $18,000 in restitution to six victims. He will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006, Project Safe Childhood is a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local resources to combat child exploitation and provide support to victims.
The severity of this crime is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of child exploitation on its victims. As a community, we must remain vigilant in our efforts to prevent such crimes from occurring and to bring perpetrators to justice.
Rockwell’s sentence serves as a warning to those who would engage in similar crimes: the consequences will be severe, and justice will be served.
Related Federal Cases
- James Johnson, Producing Child Pornography, New York NY, 2023 · Alabama
- Joshua Butler, Child Pornography Possession, New York 2024 · New York
- Paul A. Light, Child Pornography Distribution, New York 2023 · Illinois
- Miguel Jimenez Jr, Child Pornography Distribution, New York 2023 · Texas
- Roland Kyzer, Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography, New York · New York
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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