BUFFALO – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Christopher Gostick, 29, of Lancaster, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with attempted production, receipt, and possession of child pornography, which carry a minimum penalty of 25 years in prison, a maximum of 50 years, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. C. Penrose, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in June 2023, a nine-year-old female, Minor Victim 1 (MV-1), disclosed to her family that Gostick had kissed her on the lips. MV-1’s father and Gostick’s brother confronted Gostick regarding the incident and took possession of two cellphones belonging to Gostick. A review of the cellphones recovered pictures of Gostick kissing MV-1, a video of MV-1 using a bathroom, that Gostick surreptitiously recorded, commercially available child pornography, including images involving prepubescent minors, as well as a video recording of a Snapchat conversation between a prepubescent female and an adult male user, which appears to be Gostick. During the Snapchat conversation, the male user directs the prepubescent female to send him a sexually explicit video. Gostick has a prior conviction for Attempted Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child Under Age 16, and is a Level 1 registered sex offender.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and is being held pending a detention hearing on July 27, 2022.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
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.
