BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging John Douglas Looney, 79, of Rochester, NY, with three counts of possession of child pornography by an individual with a prior conviction. Each charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that Looney was previously convicted on a federal charge of possession of child pornography. According to the indictment, On March 1, 2019, Looney possessed over 750,000 images of child pornography involving prepubescent minors.
Looney made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was released on conditions.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. #
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
