BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Russell Ruth, 34, of Lyons, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to possession of child pornography, including prepubescent images. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that between March 13 and June 7, 2018, the defendant uploaded five files containing child pornography to a Yahoo! Server. Yahoo! intercepted the files and reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Investigators determined the images were uploaded by Ruth and executed a search warrant at his residence on June 7, 2018. During the search, investigators seized electronic devices containing over 10,285 images and 602 videos of child pornography, including images of prepubescent children and images involving violence.
The defendant was employed by the Boy Scouts of America in the Ovid, NY area.
The plea is the result of investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 7, 2019, at 11:30 a.m. before Judge Geraci. #
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
