Kurt Dobler, a 31-year-old resident of Syracuse, New York, has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. The announcement was made 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).
Dobler admitted that he had previously been convicted in February 2023 in Fulton County Court for possessing a sexual performance by a child, for which he received 10 years’ probation. While serving this probation, authorities found that in May 2025 he possessed thousands of files containing child pornography on his cellphone, including images depicting the abuse of infants.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 31, 2026. Dobler faces a mandatory minimum prison term of ten years and could receive up to twenty years. His sentence may also include supervised release ranging from five years to life, restitution to victims, forfeiture of the device used during the offense, special assessments and fines, and mandatory registration as a sex offender upon release.
Sentencing decisions are determined by a judge who considers federal sentencing guidelines and other factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated: “The defendant was completely undeterred from this heinous conduct despite a prior State conviction for doing the same thing, presumably because he received a slap-on-the-wrist probationary sentence. Now he will be spending at least a decade in jail. That’s the power of federal law enforcement, and my Office won’t hesitate to use it on repeat sex offenders like this defendant.”
Erin Keegan added: “Kurt Dobler's guilty plea is a stark reminder of the depravity that HSI works tirelessly to confront in defense of our children. The defendant's admitted actions are nothing short of monstrous and have no place in a civilized society. I commend the unyielding determination of HSI Syracuse personnel and our law enforcement partners in ensuring this predator is held accountable and justice is delivered for the innocent victims.”
The investigation was conducted by HSI with support from the New York State Police and Oneida County Sheriff’s Office. Additional assistance came from United States Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian is prosecuting this case under Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along with the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section—to address child sexual exploitation online through coordinated efforts across federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
