Menands Man Charged with Possessing Child Pornography

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kenneth J. Monahan, age 43, of Menands, New York, made his appearance yesterday in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Janelle M. Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The criminal complaint filed against Monahan alleges that he possessed child pornography on his home computer and downloaded child pornography through a peer-to-peer file-sharing program.   

If convicted, Monahan faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a mandatory term of supervised release of 5 years and up to life, mandatory registration as a sex offender, and a maximum $250,000 fine.  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. The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

This case is being investigated by the FBI and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia G. Suarez. 

This case is prosecuted as 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.