Brien Fredendall, 46, of Port Byron, New York, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography. The sentencing took place on Monday and was announced by Acting 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 (FBI).
Fredendall previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography. According to court documents, he admitted to having videos and images depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that he received from a minor through his Snapchat account. He also admitted to possessing additional CSAM on his cellphone. Fredendall had a prior conviction in New York State for possession of child pornography.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes imposed a 15-year term of supervised release following Fredendall’s imprisonment. Upon release, Fredendall will be required to continue registering as a sex offender.
Acting United States Attorney Sarcone said: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly pursue and prosecute anyone who seeks to exploit and harm children. There is no room in our society for predators like Fredendall, other than in prison. His decade-long federal prison term is a clear message: those who prey on our most vulnerable will face the full force of the law. We are unwavering in our mission to protect children and hold offenders accountable.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli stated: “Mr. Fredendall, who was already a convicted predator, continued to prey on our most vulnerable. Now, he’s headed to federal prison for a decade. The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force will continue to leverage our partnerships at every level of law enforcement to stop children from being exploited and bring to justice those responsible for these despicable acts.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force with assistance from the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle prosecuted the case under Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is an initiative led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). It coordinates federal, state, and local resources with the goal of identifying offenders who exploit children online and rescuing victims.
More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
