Bath Man Arrested, Charged With Receipt And Distribution Of Child Pornography

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Charles Augrom, III, 34, of Bath, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and distribution of child pornography. The charges carry a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.       

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the criminal complaint, in July 2020 an undercover law enforcement officer was investigating individuals who use Peer to Peer file sharing applications to share child pornography over the internet. During the undercover session, the officer downloaded numerous pictures and videos of child pornography that traced back to an IP address belonging to the defendant. Some of the images and videos included children younger than 12 years old engaged in sexual conduct with adults, as well as depictions of violence. On December 10, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at Augrom’s William Street residence and seized a cellular telephone. The SD card from the phone contained approximately 250 video and image files depicting child pornography.  The defendant is a Level III register sex offender on the New York State Sex Offender Registry, following two prior New York State child pornography convictions.

The defendant made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark J. Pedersen and is being held pending a detention hearing scheduled for January 11, 2021. 

The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Corning Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.