Henderson Man Pleads Guilty To Sex Trafficking Charge

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

ROCHESTER, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Carl Burdick, 58, of Henderson, NY, pleaded guilty, before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa, to transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life and a $250,000 fine. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that Burdick, a long haul truck driver, utilized text messaging and social media to develop a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old female living in the Western District of New York. The defendant engaged in grooming activity over a period of several months in 2015, during which he solicited nude photographs from the victim. In the summer of 2015, Burdick took the victim from her home in Wayne County to the State of Montana in his tractor-trailer, during which time the defendant engaged in criminal sexual activity with the victim.  

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Wayne County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Barry Virts; the Monroe County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Richard Allen; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen. Additional assistance was also provided by the Bivona Child Advocacy Center. 

Sentencing is scheduled for August 16, 2017, before Judge Siragusa.