BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK - Justin Crandall, age 28, of Sidney, New York, pled guilty today in federal court in Binghamton, New York, to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, announced Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Vadim Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In pleading guilty, Justin Crandall admitted to having made videos and images of his sexual exploitation of a 17-month old child from December of 2016 through February of 2017. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2018 in Binghamton, New York.
In entering his guilty plea today, Justin Crandall admitted that in 2016 and 2017 he resided in Sidney, New York (Delaware County) and provided daycare on a weekly basis at his residence for a 17-month old child. During this time period, and while the victim was in the custody, control and direct care of Justin Crandall, he used the child to engage in sexually explicit acts, while he made videos and images of this conduct. The FBI and New York State Police executed search warrants at the defendant’s residence and located the sexually explicit videos and images on a cellular telephone.
Justin Crandall was questioned by the New York State Police and, after being advised of and having waived his Miranda rights, voluntarily confessed in a video and audio-recorded interview.
Justin Crandall faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life on each of his three counts of conviction. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This joint investigation was conducted by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force. This task force is comprised of FBI Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Miroslav Lovric.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
