Scotia Man Pleads Guity to Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Possession of Child Pornography

On October 19, 2026, Zachary Long, age 27, of Scotia, New York, pled guilty before United States District Judge Mae A. D'Agostino to attempted online coercion and enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography.

First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

During his plea, Long admitted that between August 22 and September 27, 2023, he exchanged text messages with someone he believed to be the uncle of a 10-year-old boy. In these messages, Long expressed interest in engaging in sexual activity with the minor child. On September 27, 2023, Long arrived at a pre-determined location to engage in sex acts with the child and was arrested by law enforcement. Long also admitted to possessing child pornography on his cellular phone.

At sentencing set for February 19, 2027, Long will receive a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, be placed on supervised release after serving his term of imprisonment for at least five years and up to life, could be fined up to $250,000, and will be required to forfeit to the government the property he used to commit the offenses. In addition, Long will have to register as a sex offender.

A defendant's sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone said: "My Office will always prioritize the investigation and prosecution of individuals who commit or try to commit sex crimes against children. I thank the FBI, the New York State Police, and the Colonie Police Department for their diligent investigation."

"Mr. Long admitted to making plans to engage in sex acts with a child he believed was 10-year-old," said Craig Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albany Field Office. "Now, his only plans for at least the next decade will include sitting behind bars in federal prison. The FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force will continue to work around the clock to aggressively investigate child predators who seek to harm our most vulnerable and ensure they end up in prison."

This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the New York State Police and Colonie Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney A.J. Vickey is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.