A Syracuse man, Jonte McCall, 39, 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).
According to court documents, McCall admitted that he had previously been convicted on December 23, 2021, for Possession of a Sexual Performance by a Child Less Than 16 Years Old under New York State law and was placed on probation. While still on probation in February 2024, he possessed a cell phone containing 14 videos of child pornography.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “The defendant, already a registered sex offender and while on state probation, chose to once again seek out and gratify his sexual desires with child pornography. This behavior is disgusting and intolerable. Sex offenders in the Northern District of New York who reoffend will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This is another prime example of how the senseless bail laws and soft-on-crime New York State legislature does not protect our children. Albany legislatures, this should be a wake-up call.”
Erin Keegan added: “Crimes against children represent the deepest form of depravity and inflict lasting harm on the most vulnerable members of our community. HSI remains steadfast in our commitment to investigating these horrific offenses and bringing perpetrators to justice. Protecting children will always be our highest priority.”
Sentencing for McCall is set for April 27, 2026 before Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes. Due to his prior conviction, McCall faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and up to twenty years, as well as fines up to $250,000 and supervised release ranging from five years to life. He will also be required to pay restitution to victims, forfeit the cell phone used in the offense, and register again as a sex offender.
The investigation was conducted by HSI with support from the New York State Police Troop D Computer Crimes Unit and Onondaga County Probation Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS)—which coordinates federal, state, and local resources to address child sexual exploitation online as well as victim identification efforts. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
