Tristan Kovacs, age 22, of Waverly, New York, pled guilty on June 17 in federal court to sexual exploitation of a child and transportation of child pornography, according to an announcement by First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
As part of his plea agreement, Kovacs admitted that in April 2025 he produced a sexually explicit image involving himself and a 10-year-old female child. He then uploaded this image to a pornographic website where it was accessible for download by other users.
The charge of sexual exploitation carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and up to 30 years; the transportation charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years. Both offenses also carry fines up to $250,000 each and supervised release terms ranging from at least five years up to life. Kovacs will be required to register as a sex offender after serving his sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for October 6 in Utica before United States District Judge Anthony J. Brindisi.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, “This defendant has finally admitted the reprehensible conduct he engaged in which included his victimization of a nine-year-old child. My office will now ensure the defendant spends decades in federal prison where he belongs. Let this be a message to others who target and exploit children: we will find you, we will charge you, and we will put you behind bars.” FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig A. Tremaroli said, “Mr. Kovacs’ depraved abuse caused irreparable trauma to the child he victimized. This plea ensures he will spend at least the next two decades in federal prison. This investigation should send a strong message to any predator looking to perpetuate the abuse of our most vulnerable that the FBI will find you and send you to prison where you belong.”
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force with assistance from New York State Police, Waverly Police Department, and Broome County Sheriff’s Office; prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is an initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordination among federal prosecutors including U.S. Attorneys’ Offices as well as state agencies; more information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York prosecutes federal criminal cases across 32 counties covering over 30,000 square miles with about 3.4 million residents; it operates offices in Albany, Binghamton, Plattsburgh, and Syracuse with about fifty attorneys plus support staff as part of its mission within the Department of Justice, according to its official website.