A Montgomery County man has pleaded guilty to federal charges of distributing and possessing child pornography. Francis T. DiCaprio, 30, of Amsterdam, New York, entered his plea in Albany, admitting that he received and distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through messaging applications between June 2023 and February 2024. Authorities said DiCaprio stored this material on his cell phone.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, DiCaprio falsely told others during these exchanges that he was sexually abusing an 8-year-old child he knew.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “DiCaprio committed these abhorrent crimes while vividly describing sexual abuse he fantasized about inflicting on a child he knew. I am grateful to the FBI for finding this disgusting and dangerous individual, getting him off the street and away from children, and bringing him to justice.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Mr. DiCaprio’s guilty plea ensures he will now spend years in federal prison for his despicable actions. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to swiftly investigate any individual who knowingly possesses and distributes detrimental images that re-victimize our most vulnerable every time they are circulated.”
Sentencing is scheduled for December 15, 2025. For the distribution count, DiCaprio faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to twenty years in prison; for possession, up to twenty years. He also faces a possible fine of $250,000 and supervised release ranging from five years to life. Upon release from prison, DiCaprio will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation Task Force with assistance from local agencies including the Rotterdam Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa is prosecuting as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a national initiative led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). It coordinates federal, state, and local efforts against online child exploitation offenses and works toward identifying victims as well as prosecuting offenders. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
