Madison County Man Charged with Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Travis J. Longo, age 46, of Cazenovia, New York, appeared in federal court on June 20, 2026, on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography. The announcement was made by First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone (HSI), and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James.

The complaint filed against Longo alleges that during a search of Longo's cellular telephone seized by NYSP investigators on June 18, 2026, numerous images and videos of child pornography were discovered including several videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants that Longo had received from other users of an internet-based messaging application.

The receipt charge filed against Longo carries a mandatory minimum term of five years in federal prison, while both counts carry a statutory maximum term of 20 years. Both charges carry a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. Longo will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. 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.

Longo made his initial appearance on June 20, 2026, via video, before United States Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric, and was detained pending further proceedings.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated, "As school board vice president, the defendant was entrusted by parents and the community to help protect and serve the interests of children. Instead, as alleged, he exploited his position of public trust while actively seeking out and accumulating images and videos depicting the heinous sexual abuse of children. This shocking betrayal makes his conduct all the more reprehensible. Thanks to the great investigative work of HSI and the New York State Police, he is now behind bars where he belongs and where my office will work tirelessly to ensure he stays for a long time."

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone said: "These allegations against a school board vice president strike at the heart of parents' trust and fears. For HSI Syracuse and our law enforcement partners, protecting children is not just a duty-it's personal. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will aggressively pursue anyone who endangers children, so parents can send their kids to school knowing they are safe."

NYSP Superintendent Steven G. James stated: "The exploitation of children is among the most disturbing crimes we investigate, and those who seek out, possess, or distribute this material will be held accountable. I commend the dedicated work of our investigators and our federal partners whose efforts led to these charges. The New York State Police remain committed to protecting vulnerable victims and aggressively pursuing individuals who exploit children through technology and online platforms."

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

HSI and the NYSP Computer Crimes Unit (CCU) are investigating the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle 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.

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