BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that John Luchetti, 27, of Buffalo, N.Y., pleaded guilty before U.S. Judge Richard J. Arcara to a charge of receipt of child pornography. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O'Donnell, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant received and distributed images and videos of child pornography through an Internet file sharing program. Luchetti possessed over 600 images of child pornography on his laptop computer, which included images of prepubescent minors and acts of violence.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 6, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
