William Futrell, Child Pornography, New York 2024

Syracuse Man Sentenced to 21+ Years for Receiving Child Pornography from Minors via SnapChat

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – In a disturbing case of child exploitation, 31-year-old William Futrell of Syracuse has pleaded guilty to ten counts of receipt of child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.

According to court documents, Futrell used SnapChat to communicate with minors from across the country, offering to pay them to send explicit images in exchange for payment, which he never intended to pay. In at least ten instances, Futrell received images directly from minor children depicting them in sexually explicit conduct.

Futrell, a registered sex offender with a previous conviction for possession of child pornography in New York, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, with a maximum of 40 years. If Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes accepts the parties’ agreed-upon disposition at sentencing on September 20, 2024, Futrell will receive an imprisonment term of 262 months, or 21.83 years.

Futrell’s sentence will also include a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of between five years and life, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution to the victims, and he will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the United States Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

The investigation was led by United States Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the New York State Police (NYSP) Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the New York State Police (NYSP) Troop D Computer Crime Unit. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck prosecuted Futrell as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 to combat child exploitation and rescue victims.

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