A 21-year-old man from Waverly, New York, Tristan Kovacs, has been charged in federal court with sexual exploitation of a child and transportation of child pornography. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to the complaint, in April 2025 Kovacs allegedly produced a sexually explicit image involving himself and a nine-year-old girl. He is accused of uploading this image to a pornographic website for financial gain. The website reported the upload, which led to an investigation and Kovacs’s arrest.
If convicted on the sexual exploitation charge, Kovacs faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison. The transportation of child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years. Both charges could result in fines up to $250,000 and supervised release ranging from at least five years to life. Conviction would also require Kovacs to register as a sex offender after his release.
Kovacs appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks for arraignment and was detained pending further proceedings.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “the defendant’s conduct as alleged in the complaint is despicable. Not only is the defendant alleged to have sexually exploited a child, but he also appears to have sought to profit from it. My office is committed to doing whatever is in our power to ensure this defendant never has the opportunity to harm another child.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig A. Tremaroli stated: “Hours after FBI Albany received this disturbing tip from law enforcement, Mr. Kovacs was in custody facing federal charges that carry significant sentences. The FBI will continue to devote every resource available to swiftly investigate these despicable predators and protect our most vulnerable. Our office is especially thankful to our partners at Waverly Police Department, New York State Police, and Broome County Sheriff’s Office for their invaluable assistance in this investigation.”
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force along with the New York State Police, with support from local agencies including the Waverly Police Department and Broome County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle is prosecuting the case under Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a national initiative led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices together with federal partners aimed at combating online child sexual exploitation through coordinated investigations and prosecutions across jurisdictions (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
