Albany County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Little M. Johnson, age 21, of Albany, New York, pled guilty on Tuesday in federal court to possession of child pornography.

The announcement was made by First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

As part of his guilty plea, Johnson admitted that on October 9, 2025, while on probation for a 2023 conviction for Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child, in violation of New York Penal Law, he possessed numerous videos of child pornography, including some that depicted children as young as three years old being sexually abused.

First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: "Children should be protected, not exploited to satisfy the deviant sexual desires of individuals like this defendant. This is why the United States Attorney's Office and our law enforcement partners have made it our priority to root out and punish anyone engaging in such conduct to the fullest extent of the law."

Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo, stated: "This plea by a repeat offender who collected images of children being sexually abused underscores the profound and lasting harm these crimes inflict on victims and our community. Success in these cases depends on strong partnerships among HSI, prosecutors, law enforcement, and the public. We urge anyone with information about child exploitation to come forward, so together we can stop these predators and protect our most vulnerable children."

Because of Johnson's prior state conviction, the charge of possession of child pornography carries a term of imprisonment of between 10 and 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. Johnson will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

Johnson's sentencing is currently scheduled for August 17, 2026, before United States District Judge Mae A. D'Agostino in Albany, New York. 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.

HSI investigated this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adrian 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.

###