Daniel LaRock, a 21-year-old resident of Oswego, New York, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of possession of child pornography. The sentencing took place in Syracuse and was announced by Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
LaRock had previously been convicted in June 2024 for Promoting the Sexual Performance by a Child in Oswego County Court, receiving a sentence of 10 years’ probation. Later that same month, he possessed and distributed child pornography through several social media accounts. The material included videos showing very young children engaged in sex acts with adults.
In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Anthony J. Brindisi ordered LaRock to serve 15 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. He must also pay $8,000 in restitution to victims and forfeit the device used to commit these offenses.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “LaRock received an incredibly lenient sentence of 10 years’ probation by the Owego County Court for committing essentially the same disgusting conduct less than two years ago. Not surprisingly, a sentence of probation for promoting the sexual performance of a child neither deterred LaRock from committing the same type of offense again nor did it protect the public. My Office will continue to work with our federal and state partners to charge and seek just punishment for people who possess child pornography.”
Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge at HSI’s Buffalo Field Office, commented: “Daniel LaRock’s repeated exploitation of children underscores his complete disregard for our most helpless, vulnerable populations. Today’s sentence reflects the utmost seriousness of the defendant’s crimes. I thank HSI Syracuse and our law enforcement partners for never wavering on their support for victims of unimaginable crimes and their shared pursuit of justice.”
The investigation was led by HSI with help from the New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a national program aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse online through coordination among federal, state, and local agencies to find offenders and rescue victims. More information about this initiative can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
