Rochester Man Pleads Guilty To Possession Of Child Pornography

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Joshua Vandegrift, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Elizabeth A. Wolford to attempted receipt of child pornography. The charge carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was arrested by the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office after engaging a minor in sexually explicit conversations via Facebook. Following an extensive investigation, Sheriff’s Office investigators discovered three additional minor victims of Vandegrift. The victims were located and identified by members of the FBI, Corning Office. The victims included a 12 year old female, two 13 year old females, and a 17 year old female. In each of the conversations, the defendant sent the victims sexually explicit images and videos of himself, and attempted to induce the victims to send him nude photographs in return.  

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Don Hilton; the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Acting Sheriff William A. Schrom; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Corning Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2019, before Judge Wolford.