Richard LaPage, 52, of Potsdam, New York, was sentenced on February 25, 2026, to 19 years in federal prison after being convicted of distributing, receiving, and possessing child pornography. The sentence was announced by First Assistant 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 records and his guilty plea, LaPage used smartphone social networking applications between December 2023 and October 2024 to send and receive child pornography files with other users. Investigators found over 150 images and videos containing child pornography on four electronic devices belonging to LaPage. In addition to these offenses, LaPage had a prior conviction from April 25, 2010, for Attempted Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree under New York State law.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “The defendant, already a registered sex offender, again engaged in disgusting criminal conduct that revictimized the children whose abuse was depicted in the images he distributed, received, and possessed. Repeat sex offenders should know that this Office will stop at nothing to ensure they are identified, prosecuted, and removed from our communities. I commend our law enforcement partners’ work to keep our communities safe from this dangerous predator.”
Erin Keegan added: "Richard LaPage’s sentencing today is another example of holding repeat child predators accountable for their reprehensible crimes against innocent children. HSI Massena, together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York and our local partners, relentlessly pursued this case to ensure LaPage could no longer threaten our communities. We remain unwavering in our mission to protect children and will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners to root out those who prey on the vulnerable."
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also ordered LaPage to serve a supervised release term of 15 years following his imprisonment and pay restitution to victims. Upon release from prison, he must register again as a sex offender.
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit (CCU), Potsdam Police Department, and St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Childhood is an initiative led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Department of Justice's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section that coordinates efforts among federal, state, and local agencies against online child exploitation crimes while working to identify victims.
More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
