ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brian Botsford, age 26, of Troy, New York, is headed to federal prison for a decade after pleading guilty to a horrifying attempt to exploit a child. Botsford was sentenced today to 120 months behind bars for attempting to coerce and entice a 13-year-old into sexual acts. The sentence was handed down by Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe, and it’s a small measure of justice for what this predator attempted.
According to court documents, Botsford bombarded an undercover investigator – posing as the 13-year-old victim – with graphic, sexually explicit text messages between July and August 2020. The messages weren’t just suggestive; Botsford repeatedly demanded naked photos and brazenly sent photos of an erect penis to the supposed child. The depravity didn’t stop there. Botsford explicitly stated his intent to get the child to run away with him, seeking refuge in an abandoned building, and shockingly, to impregnate her.
The FBI’s investigation quickly escalated when Botsford attempted to meet the “child” in person on August 10, 2020, in Troy. Law enforcement was waiting. Botsford was arrested upon arrival, cutting short his monstrous plan. This wasn’t a fleeting thought; it was a calculated and disturbing attempt to harm a vulnerable child, and the FBI acted swiftly to intervene.
The sentence doesn’t end with prison. Following his release, Botsford will face a staggering 25 years of supervised release. Furthermore, he will be required to register as a sex offender, a permanent marker of his crimes and a warning to the public. This is a lifetime consequence for a lifetime of harm he attempted to inflict.
The case was spearheaded by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, a collaborative effort involving federal, state, and local law enforcement, including the New York State Police, and the Colonie and Rotterdam Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney Rachel L. Williams prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at protecting children from online exploitation.
Project Safe Childhood, launched in 2006, is a Department of Justice program that marshals resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who prey on children online, and to rescue the victims. This case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in the digital world and the critical work being done by law enforcement to combat this heinous crime. More information on Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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