Win Naing, a 20-year-old resident of Utica, New York, appeared in federal court in Syracuse on charges of receiving and possessing 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, a cloud storage provider notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in 2023 about an upload of child pornography on its platform by one of its users. Investigators from the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office used geolocation data linked to the internet protocol address responsible for the upload to identify Naing as a suspect. Authorities then searched Naing’s cellphone and found numerous images and videos depicting child pornography. Agents also discovered that some material had been downloaded using a social networking application installed on his device.
If convicted, Naing faces between five and twenty years in federal prison, a fine up to $250,000, at least five years and up to life on supervised release, and mandatory sex offender registration upon release from prison. Sentencing will be determined by a judge based on relevant statutes, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Naing had his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks yesterday in Syracuse and is currently detained pending further proceedings.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “Collecting child pornography is not a victimless crime and the defendant in this case will now suffer the grave consequences of his despicable actions. Anyone who traffics in child pornography in the Northern District of New York should be prepared to face swift and immediate justice and can expect to spend years behind bars.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “As alleged, Mr. Naing had a disturbing amount of child pornography in his possession. The FBI remains committed to relentlessly investigating these appalling predators and ensuring justice is delivered to the victims.”
The indictment's charges are accusations; Naing is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The investigation involves both the FBI and Oneida County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle is prosecuting under Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative led by U.S Attorneys' Offices along with the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), aiming to locate, apprehend, prosecute individuals exploiting children online, as well as identify victims (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
