PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Harry McCarthy, age 55, of Ogdensburg, New York, was indicted yesterday for sexually exploiting a child for the purpose of creating child pornography, and for distributing, receiving, possessing and transporting child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian; Andrew W. Vale, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II.
McCarthy appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Gary L. Favro and was detained pending further proceedings. If convicted of all charges, McCarthy faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison for each charge of child exploitation, and at least 5 years and up to 20 years for each charge of distributing, receiving, and transporting child pornography. If convicted, McCarthy would also face mandatory, post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and would be required to register 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.
According to the indictment, in 2013 and 2014, McCarthy induced a 13-year-old child into engaging in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating images of such conduct. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Kopita.
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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/