Skaneateles Falls Man Gets 90 Months for Child Porn Crimes

Richard Michael Lydon, 67, of Skaneateles Falls, New York, is headed to federal prison for 90 months after admitting to distributing and possessing thousands of images and videos of child pornography. The sentence, handed down today in Utica, marks the end of a years-long investigation into one of the most extensive collections of illicit material ever seen by the presiding judge.

Lydon pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from the discovery of over 8,000 images and more than 1,400 videos during a November 2015 search of his residence. Authorities traced the bulk of the material to a peer-to-peer file-sharing network, which Lydon used to both acquire and distribute the exploitative content. He admitted in court to amassing the collection over more than a decade, fueling a grotesque archive of child sexual abuse.

U.S. District Judge David N. Hurd did not mince words at sentencing, calling the volume and nature of the material “one of the largest collections” he has ever encountered in similar cases. Beyond the 7.5-year prison term, Lydon will face a lifetime of supervised release upon his eventual freedom—a requirement that includes strict monitoring and restrictions on internet use.

As part of the judgment, Lydon was ordered to pay $3,300 in restitution to identified victims—children whose abuse was captured and circulated in the digital underworld. He will also be required to register as a sex offender in accordance with federal and state laws, a designation that will follow him for life and be publicly accessible.

The case was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with Buffalo Field Office Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero emphasizing the agency’s commitment to dismantling networks of child exploitation. U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian confirmed the prosecution was pursued under Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative launched in 2006 to combat online child sexual abuse through coordinated federal, state, and local action.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina Schoenberger handled the prosecution. Project Safe Childhood continues to target offenders across the country by leveraging advanced digital forensics and interagency collaboration. More information on the initiative can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.