Amherst Man Indicted for Possession of Child Pornography

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a five-count indictment charging Cameron Stroke, 32, of Amherst, New York, with possession of child pornography. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that, according to the indictment, in February 2011, the defendant possessed child pornography that contained graphic depictions of the sexual abuse of prepubescent children and children performing sexual acts on animals. The images were found following online postings made by the defendant soliciting minors for sexual purposes.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; investigators with the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Michael Cerretto; and Detectives with the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack.

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.