Ithaca Man Sentenced to 150 Months for Attempted Enticement of a Minor

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Joseph Swansbrough, 34, of Ithaca New York, was sentenced today to 150 months (12.5 years) in federal prison for attempting to entice and coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Swansbrough admitted that, between September and October 2021, he exchanged sexually explicit messages online with an undercover officer posing as a 10-year-old child in an attempt to entice the child into engaging in sexual acts with him.  Swansbrough also admitted that, on October 12, 2021, he traveled from his home in Tioga County to a prearranged meeting location in Broome County, New York, with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the 10-year-old child.  Swansbrough was arrested upon arrival at the location and was found in possession of candy he had promised to bring to the child.

United States District Judge, Glenn T. Suddaby, also sentenced Swansbrough to a 25-year term of supervised release to begin after he serves his term of imprisonment. Swansbrough also will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Computer Crimes Unit (CCU).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Geoffrey J. L. Brown, Jessica N. Carbone, and Adrian S. LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s 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.