Casey Medina, a 33-year-old resident of Rochester, NY, has entered a guilty plea to charges of possession of child pornography and cyberstalking. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo. Medina faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison for these offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford provided details on the case, revealing that on August 22, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant on Medina’s cell phone. This led to the discovery of approximately 360 images of child pornography received via a social media platform. Among these images was at least one depicting violence against a prepubescent child.
Additionally, between May and August 2024, Medina engaged in disseminating sexually explicit photographs falsely edited to show an individual involved in sexual activity. These manipulated images were shared across various social media platforms and websites. Starting in May 2024, over roughly 26 days and again from June to July 2024, Medina sent threatening and harassing messages to the victim, including threats of kidnapping, rape, sexual abuse, and murder. He also distributed sexually explicit images with the victim's face superimposed on them while sharing identifying information such as her hometown and workplace.
The investigation leading to this plea was conducted by the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office under Sheriff Tobias Shelley and the Federal Bureau of Investigation led by Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing is set for August 4, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Meredith A. Vacca.
