Fulton Resident Sentenced for Child Pornography
| U.S. Attorney's Office February 12, 2009 |
Andrew T. Baxter, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York, York, and Harry Corbitt, Superintendent, New York State Police announced that JOHN C. HOTALING, age 48, of Gallupville, New York, and formerly of Sharon Springs, New York, pled guilty in United States District Court in Albany today before the Honorable Norman A. Mordue to a one count Indictment charging him with the possession of child pornography.
In connection with his pleas today, HOTALING admitted the following in a written plea agreement and during his plea proceeding:
Acting United States Attorney Andrew T. Baxter announced that EFRAIN ROSA, 38, of Fulton, New York was sentenced in federal court today to 120 years in federal prison as a result of his October, 2008 guilty pleas to three counts of producing child pornography, and one count of witness tampering. Hon. Norman A. Mordue, Chief United States District Judge sentenced ROSA to four consecutive 30 year sentences: one for each count of conviction.
Pursuant to a plea agreement executed by ROSA and filed in United States District Court, ROSA admitted that he sexually abused three children, ages 4, 8, and 9, and that he produced sexually explicit images of that abuse. ROSA also pled guilty to the felony offense of witness tampering, admitting that he persuaded a 12-year-old child to falsely implicate himself in ROSA’s crimes, in an attempt to fraudulently absolve ROSA of the offenses.
ROSA’S federal charges follow his September 27, 2007 arrest by the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office on charges related to the sexual abuse of two of the victims portrayed in the federal production case. Those charges, and charges relating to ROSA’s alleged abuse of two additional boys are scheduled to be tried in Oswego County Court on May 4, 2009.
ROSA’s state and federal arrests were the result of an investigation by the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The joint effort is a 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The federal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Fletcher, who can be reached at 448-0672. The Oswego County case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Greg Oakes, who can be reached at 349-8425.