Ashley K. Whitaker, 49, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for making false statements to the United States Probation Office. The sentencing was announced by Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Acting United States Marshal Christopher Amoia.
Whitaker, originally from Lexington, Kentucky, was previously prosecuted in the Northern District of New York in 2008 for receiving sexually explicit images of a minor from Oswego County. After serving a ten-year sentence for that offense, he resided in Syracuse, New York under supervision by United States Probation. Due to his 2008 conviction, Whitaker is classified as a Level 2 sex offender in New York and must register with the Division of Criminal Justice Services. As part of this registration, he is required to disclose all internet identifiers and accounts.
After his release from prison, Whitaker created and used an undisclosed email account which he failed to report to both the registry and U.S. Probation. Over several written monthly reports, he falsely claimed compliance with his registration obligations.
In addition to the sentence for making false statements, Whitaker was also found to have violated terms of his supervised release related to the underlying sex offense. For this violation, he received an additional 24 months imprisonment and ten years of supervised release; these sentences will run consecutively. He remains subject to sex offender registration requirements.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Sex offender registration, and truthful compliance with United States Probation is an important part of a sex offender’s sentence. These guardrails are put in place to protect the public and to monitor an offender’s transition back into society. These are simple requirements. When sex offenders fail to comply, we will hold them accountable.”
Acting United States Marshal Christopher Amoia said: “The protection of our communities, especially our most vulnerable populations, remains one of our highest priorities. The U.S. Marshals Sex Offender Investigative Division collaborates closely with federal, state, and local partners to track offenders, enforce sex offender registration laws, and to ensure compliance with the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. These efforts are central to the Marshals Service mission of protecting communities and reducing the risk posed by offenders who attempt to evade accountability. The United States Marshals Service will continue to dedicate resources to locating and apprehending sex offenders nationwide, ensuring that those who violate federal law are brought to justice.”
The case was investigated by the United States Marshal Service and the United States Probation Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher is prosecuting the case as Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York.
Project Safe Childhood is a national initiative led by U.S Attorneys' Offices and other agencies aiming to combat child sexual exploitation online by coordinating federal, state, and local efforts (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
