Scotia Man Charged with Attempted Enticement of a Minor

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Zachary Long, age 23, of Scotia, New York, was arrested on September 27 and charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Alfred A. Watson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

The criminal complaint alleges that between August 22, 2023 and September 27, 2023, Long exchanged text messages with someone in Albany.  In these messages, Long expressed interest in engaging in sexual conduct with a minor child.  Long and the other person discussed plans in which Long would meet the other person at a prearranged location in order to engage in sexual acts with the child.  On September 27, 2023, Long was encountered by law enforcement at the prearranged location and arrested. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty

Long appeared yesterday before United States Magistrate Daniel J. Stewart, who ordered Long detained pending trial.

The charges filed against Long carry a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, a maximum term of life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life.  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. Long would also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, including investigators from the Colonie Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Allen J. Vickey.

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 Attorney’s 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 https://www.justice/gov/psc/.