Schenectady Man Charged with Attempted Child Exploitation

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Keith Mussenden, age 36, of Schenectady, New York, was arrested last week and charged by criminal complaint for attempted sexual exploitation of a child.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The complaint alleges that, on or about the dates of June 1, 2019 through January 1, 2020, in Schenectady County, Mr.  Mussenden attempted to produce sexually explicit images of a child victim.

The charges in the complaint are merely accusations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Mussenden initially appeared in court on Tuesday, February 25, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart.  Following a detention hearing held on February 28, Judge Stewart ordered Mussenden detained.

If convicted, Mussenden faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a term of post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life, and a fine of up to $250,000.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.  Additionally, if convicted, Mussenden would be required to register as a sex offender.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel L. Williams and Alicia G. Suarez.

This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood.  Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.