Michael Fegley Jr., a 31-year-old resident of Tampa, Florida, has pleaded guilty to charges of traveling with the intent to engage in unlawful sexual conduct and transporting 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, Fegley admitted that he traveled from Florida to the Northern District of New York intending to engage in illegal sexual activity with someone he believed was a 13-year-old child. He also acknowledged bringing approximately 1,000 images and videos depicting child pornography obtained from the internet.
Fegley is scheduled for sentencing on April 27, 2026. On the charge related to child pornography, he faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years and up to twenty years; on the travel charge, he could receive up to thirty years. In addition, he may be subject to supervised release for at least five years and possibly for life, restitution payments to victims, destruction of property used in committing the offenses as ordered by the court, special assessments, fines, and will be required to register as a sex offender upon release.
Sentencing will be determined by a judge based on federal statutes violated by Fegley, applicable U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other relevant factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated: “The defendant’s admitted conduct is deeply disturbing. He not only traveled across multiple states to meet a purported child for unlawful sexual conduct, but he brought with him vile depictions of the sexual abuse of children. Let the defendant’s case be a warning to all predators: If you come into the Northern District of New York with the goal of harming a child, you will be prosecuted.”
Erin Keegan added: “This individual’s calculated decision to cross multiple state lines in pursuit of exploiting someone who he believed was a child demonstrates a disturbing level of predatory intent. HSI will stop at nothing to track down and bring to justice those who target children, regardless of where their crimes take them. HSI Albany, together with our partners, is unwavering in their resolve to shield children from harm and see that those who prey on them are held to account.”
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations working alongside the New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian is prosecuting this 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) aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation online through collaboration among federal, state and local agencies for prosecution as well as victim identification efforts. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
