Liverpool Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Charges

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jason Kopp, 40, of Liverpool, New York pled guilty today to all twenty-two counts of an indictment charging him with the exploitation of children as well as the possession and distribution of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and FBI Resident Agent in Charge Andrew Vale of the FBI Albany Division.

"The sexual abuse of infants and toddlers is conduct at the deepest depths of depravity, and the production of child pornography perpetuates the victimization. Today’s guilty plea highlights the FBI's sustained success identifying and arresting such child sexual predators. We will seek a sentence commensurate with the gravity of these crimes," said U.S. Attorney Hartunian.

"The FBI stands determined with our law enforcement partners to stem the tide of child exploitation," said Special Agent in Charge Andrew W. Vale. "Predators like Mr. Kopp victimize the most innocent among us and he will be held accountable for his heinous and unspeakable crimes."

The investigation began on March 4, 2016 when a Task Force Officer assigned to the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department-Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force (Washington Field Office), acting in an undercover capacity, began texting with Jason Kopp, who was using a screen name of "daymein39" and who also displayed the initials "JK." In texts between the two, Jason Kopp told the undercover officer that he had pictures of a female infant that had been sent to him by a woman acquaintance and distributed images of the infant to the officer. FBI Special Agents, assisted by the New York State Police, arrested Jason Kopp in Liverpool, New York on March 18, 2016.

As part of his guilty plea today Jason Kopp admitted that he and another person conspired to sexually exploit the infant for the purpose of producing visual depictions of the abuse. Kopp also admitted to ten separate events in which he exploited children for the purpose of producing images and videos of the abuse. In addition to the exploitation of the infant, Kopp’s offenses included the exploitation of a male toddler-aged child. He also pled guilty to nine separate counts of distributing the images he and another person produced, and to two counts of possessing child pornography he had downloaded from the Internet.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 14, 2016. For his convictions for Conspiracy to Sexually Exploit a Child (count 1) and Exploitation of a Child (counts 2,3,6,7,8,9,10,11,12, and 13) Kopp faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen (15) years and a maximum sentence of thirty (30) years on each count. For his convictions for Distribution of Child Pornography (counts 14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21and 22) he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years, and a maximum of 20 years on each count, and for his convictions for Possession of Child Pornography (counts 27 and 28), he faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment. Sentences of imprisonment may be concurrent or consecutive at the discretion of the Court. The Court may also impose a fine of up to $250,000 per count, and must impose a term of supervised release of between five (5) years and life. Kopp will also be required to register as a sex offender.

This case is being investigated by the Albany Division of the FBI (Syracuse Resident Agency), the New York State Police and the Metropolitan Police Department-Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force (Washington Field Office), and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa Fletcher and Robert Levine.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.