Former Hoosick Falls Resident Charged with Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

ALBANY, NEW YORK – William Hines, age 42, formerly of Hoosick Falls, New York, appeared in court today on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

A criminal complaint alleges that in January 2017, in Rensselaer County, Hines downloaded child pornography from a foreign website and possessed numerous images of child pornography on his cell phone and a computer. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty

Hines was arrested on April 20, 2020 in Hudson, Florida, and then transported to the Northern District of New York.  Today, Hines was ordered detained pending further proceedings.

If convicted of all charges in the complaint, Hines faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least 5 years and up to lifetime post-imprisonment supervised release, and mandatory registration as a sex offender.  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. 

This case is being investigated by HSI with the assistance of the Hoosick Falls Police Department and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia G. Suarez. 

This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.