David Dion, a 48-year-old resident of Greenwich, New York, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for distributing and possessing child pornography. The sentencing took place in Albany, with Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli, and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James making the announcement.
Dion had previously pleaded guilty to distributing images and videos of child pornography between July 2023 and January 2024 using an encrypted chat messenger. On February 28, 2024, authorities searched his residence and found that he possessed images of child pornography on five electronic devices. Dion also admitted to producing altered images by superimposing faces of local children from Washington County onto pornographic images sourced from the internet. In total, more than 205,000 images and 545 videos depicting child pornography were discovered across his devices.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci imposed a 20-year term of supervised release following Dion’s prison sentence. The court also ordered restitution totaling $105,000 to be paid to victims and required forfeiture of the electronic devices used in the offenses. Upon release, Dion will be required to register as a sex offender.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “Dion is a sexual predator who deeply impacted the lives of his community, by merging ordinary photos of local children into images of child pornography. He will now spend the next twelve and a half years of his wretched life locked up in a cage where he belongs. I thank our state and local partners for bringing this case to us for federal prosecution and for making our children safer.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Mr. Dion’s significant sentence ensures that he will now spend years in federal prison for terrorizing a community. 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.”
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said: “The steadfast work done by the State Police and our law enforcement partners ensures Mr. Dion will serve time for his deplorable actions. There is zero tolerance for those who prey on children, and this sentencing reflects the severity of these crimes. Together, we will continue to seek justice for those who have been victimized and protect those who are most vulnerable, our children.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and New York State Police, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Childhood is a national initiative led by U.S Attorneys' Offices alongside other federal agencies aimed at combating online child exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local authorities; more information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
