ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jacob Ritchie, 37, of Wolcott, NY, who was convicted of distributing child pornography following a prior conviction for a child sex abuse offense, was sentenced to serve 35 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that between November 2021, and February 2022, Ritchie engaged in sexually explicit online communications with an undercover New York State Police Investigator, who Ritchie believed was a 12-year-old female. During these conversations, Ritchie repeatedly asked the child to produce and send to him images of child pornography. He also attempted to persuade the child to meet him for sex. Ritchie also sent images of child pornography in an attempt to groom the child for sexual activity. The images depicted children as young as eight-years-old engaged in sexual activity with adults. Ritchie also made numerous references to possible sexual contact with a minor relative while communicating with the undercover investigator.
In February 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at Ritchie’s residence, where they recovered a cell phone containing dozens of images of child pornography. Some of the images depicted the sexual abuse of children as young as toddlers, and children being subjected to violence. A subsequent search of Ritchie’s social media found that he engaged in multiple online conversations during which he openly discussed sexually abusing children and traded child pornography. Ritchie admitted to sexually abusing multiple children, to include a child as young as five-years-old. He is a level 3 sex offender following child sexual abuse convictions in 2012, 2016, and 2017.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian J. Ratajczak and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
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