Apalachin Man Pleads Guilty To Receiving Child Pornography

BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK -Brandon Kie, 30, of Apalachin, New York, pled guilty in federal court to receiving child pornography via the internet. 

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Andrew W. Vale, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 

Sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2017 before Senior Judge Thomas J. McAvoy.  Kie faces  a minimum sentence of 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life.  He will also be required to register as a sex offender.   A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. 

In pleading guilty, Kie admitted that in 2014 he used a computer to connect to several child pornography web sites via the internet and also connected to other computers using peer-to-peer software programs. Kie received and downloaded more than 500 digital images and more than 12 videos of child pornography via the internet.

This case is being investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Miroslav Lovric. 

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.