STAFF REPORTS
BUFFALO — Russell Ruth, 34, of Lyons, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in early March 2018, Yahoo! reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a subscriber uploaded five suspected child pornography files to a Yahoo! server. NCMEC contacted law enforcement officers who traced the files to an email address belonging to the defendant.
On June 7, 2018, the New York State Police executed the search warrant at Ruth’s Ditton Street residence in Lyons. A forensic examination of the defendant’s laptop computer and cellular telephone recovered hundreds of images and videos of child pornography involving minor boys.
The defendant was employed by the Boy Scouts of America in the Ovid, NY area.
Members of the public who have information related to this case are urged to contact the local HSI Buffalo Office at 716-464-5949. HSI victim-witness specialists will be available to assist any parent or guardian should they need victim-related resources. If any members of the public have general questions or concerns regarding sexual abuse of children or would like guidance on how to discuss this issue with children, please call the Bivona Child Advocacy Center at 1-585-935-7800.
Ruth made an initial appearance today before U.S. District Judge Jonathan W. Feldman and is being held pending a detention hearing on July 11, 2018, at 2:30 p.m.
The complaint is the result of investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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