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Tioga County Man Sentenced for Child Pornography
BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – In a shocking turn of events, Mahkya Searles, a 23-year-old from Tioga County, New York, has been sentenced to 109 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for his receipt and possession of child pornography.
According to the FBI, Searles pleaded guilty to admitting that between April 2018 and March 10, 2019, he searched for and downloaded child pornography from the Internet. Furthermore, on March 20, 2019, he possessed more than 30 images of child pornography on his phone, some of which involved prepubescent minors.
Senior United States District Judge Thomas McAvoy found that Searles had a prior pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of a 5-year-old child. Upon release from imprisonment, Searles must also register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the Tioga County Sheriff’s Department, Athens Police Department, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Grabowski prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood, launched in May 2006, is a joint effort between federal, state, and local resources to combat child exploitation and rescue victims. The initiative has been instrumental in locating, apprehending, and prosecuting individuals who exploit children via the Internet.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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