Date: 09-28-2015

Case Style: United States of America v. Noah R. Scribner

Case Number: 6:14-mj-04134-MWP

Judge: David G. Larimer

Court: United States District Court for the Western District of New York (Monroe County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Craig R. Gestring

Defendant's Attorney: Clark Zimmermann

Description: Rochester, NY - Palmyra Man Pleads Guilty To Possession Of Child Pornography

Noah R. Scribner, 23, of Palmyra, NY, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography involving pre-pubescent minors before U.S. District Court Judge David G. Larimer. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who is handling the case, stated that the New York State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an online child pornography investigation in December 2013. During that case, they learned that child pornography had been uploaded to a Google cloud drive account. Investigators linked that activity to the defendant, and traced his physical location to a residence in Palmyra. A search warrant was executed and numerous digital items were seized.

During the investigation, Scribner told officers that he found the child pornography images and videos online by using certain search terms. The defendant also admitted that he would ask other online users to send him online "links" to other child pornography sites and images. Scribner acknowledged that in return, he would send those users other links with child pornography as well. The defendant estimated that he traded child pornography with others 100 times or more and said that the people he communicated with online (about child pornography) could be from anywhere in the world. At the time he downloaded the images, Scribner believed what he was downloading constituted child pornography.

A forensic review of the digital material seized from Scribner located images of children being sexually abused on several items, including a laptop and Apple iPod. Some of the images depicted prepubescent minors or minors under 12 years old, as well as images which portrayed depictions of violence.

The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Craig Hanesworth and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Child Exploitation Task Force consisting of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department, the Greece Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 8, 2015, at 11:30 a.m. before Judge Larimer.

Outcome: See above

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: