Tristan Bass-Krueger, a 32-year-old PhD student from Rochester, New York, was arrested and charged with production, distribution and possession of child pornography as well as enticement of a minor, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced on Mar. 27. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is significant due to the nature of the allegations involving online communication between an adult and a minor that reportedly led to sexual encounters and the creation of explicit material.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office began investigating after receiving a report from the mother of a 14-year-old who said her child had exchanged sexual images with an adult male and may have been involved in a sexual relationship with him. Investigators examined the child's phone and found evidence including messages on Tinder and WhatsApp between the minor—identified as Victim 1—and someone using the name "Tristan," whose profile described him as “PhD at UR.” Further investigation identified "Tristan" as Bass-Krueger.
The complaint states that on February 4, Bass-Krueger allegedly picked up Victim 1 at home for several hours together before returning home. Subsequent messages included references by Bass-Krueger to concerns about their age difference and legal risks: “I really like you an am looking forward to hanging out tomorrow, but tbh I see this relationship ending in heartbreak for you... I’m risking serious jail time that’ll start to weigh on me more.” Other communications included instructions from Bass-Krueger to delete their conversations if they suspected discovery: “If you suspect anything delete all our communication and vids.” Investigators found messages where Victim 1 disclosed having sex with Bass-Krueger and indicated videos were taken during their encounter; one such video was located on Victim 1’s phone.
Bass-Krueger was arrested in Atlanta, Georgia on March 25 following these findings. He made his initial court appearance in Georgia but will be transferred back to New York for further proceedings.
Authorities emphasized that these charges are accusations only; under law, defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
