CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Joseph Lombardo, 25, of Lancaster, NY, who was convicted of possession and receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to 188 months in prison and lifetime supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that in May, 2014, a 15-year-old female reported to Lancaster Police that three or four years earlier when she was 12 or 13 years old, she was contacted on the social media site “Kik” by an unknown male calling himself “Chris Richardson.” Victim 1 stated that “Chris Richardson” requested that she send him naked pictures. If she refused, Victim 1 said that “Chris Richardson” claimed he would post the pictures of her on the internet to exploit her. Victim 1 sent numerous naked pictures of herself to “Chris Richardson.” Victim 1 confided in another female who stated that “Chris Richardson” had also solicited pictures and was extorting her.
That female to Victim 1 about a male identified as “Dan” who would help her. Victim 1 was contacted by “Dan” who said she would help her if she hung out with him. Victim 1 agreed and chatted with “Dan” on a daily basis for several weeks. “Dan” also requested naked pictures and Victim 1 complied. Victim 1 and “Dan” eventually met in person and over the next few weeks had sexual contact several times. “Dan” asked Victim 1 for permission to record one of their sexual encounters which he would put on the internet and make money for her. Victim 1 is unsure if she was videotaped. Victim 1 stated that she told “Dan” her actual age.
On May 9, 2014, in a police photo array, Victim 1 identified the defendant as “Dan.” On that same day, police recovered several items, including a laptop, during the execution of a search warrant at Lomabardo’s Lancaster residence.
During a forensic analysis of the contents of the laptop computer, officers discovered images of a 13-year-old female (Victim 2). The images were sent to the defendant by phone. In a subsequent interview with Victim 2, she indicated that she met Lombardo on meetme.com. Victim 2 also indicated that the defendant identified himself as “Chris Richardson.”
The forensic analysis also revealed pictures of a 16-year-old female (Victim 3) who told police she also met the defendant on meetme.com. Victim 3 had sexual contact with Lombardo and also sent 30 to 40 naked pictures of herself to the defendant.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Adam S. Cohen, Special Agent-In-Charge; the Lancaster Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gerald Gill; and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack.