Alexander MacFayden, a 60-year-old Canadian citizen, was sentenced in Albany, New York, to 188 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to attempted enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, MacFayden admitted that between May and August 25, 2023, he exchanged sexually explicit messages online with an individual in Albany. He believed this person would allow him to engage in sexual contact with a 10-year-old relative. On August 25, 2023, MacFayden traveled from Canada to Albany intending to have sexual contact with the child. Law enforcement arrested him shortly after his arrival.
Upon release from prison, MacFayden will be required to register as a sex offender.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Alexander MacFayden is a depraved person who wanted to have sex with a 10-year-old girl. He will now spend the next 15 years in federal prison. Every day, we are working with our law enforcement partners to lock up pedophiles who would seek to harm children in our communities.”
Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albany Field Office, said: “Mr. MacFayden traveled from Canada to Albany, where he intended to have sex with a 10-year-old girl. That trip just landed him in federal prison for the next 15 years. The FBI’s reach is vast, and we will use every resource at our disposal to keep our children safe from these sickening predators.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force with assistance from several local law enforcement agencies including the Colonie Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department, and New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph S. Hartunian and Allen J. Vickey prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is an initiative led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordination among federal, state, and local resources for prosecution and victim identification efforts nationwide.
More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc
