Registered sex offender pleads guilty to possession of child pornography

ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Brandon Hayward, 41, a registered sex offender from Canandaigua, NY, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography following a prior conviction for sexual abuse, before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in November 2021, a search warrant was executed at Hayward’s Canandaigua apartment, related to an investigation involving potential firearms offenses.  During the search, several digital devices were seized from the residence, which were initially forensically analyzed for firearms crimes but were found to contain child pornography. Further examination recovered several images of child pornography, as well as videos that Hayward produced via Skype, in 2017, involving a 16-year-old minor from another state. Hayward is a registered sex offender, following a 2000 conviction for Sexual Abuse in the First Degree. 

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 7, 2024, before Judge Siragusa.

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