Tioga County Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Transportation of Child Pornography

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Tristan Kovacs, age 22, of Waverly, New York, pled guilty on June 17, 2026, in federal court to sexual exploitation of a child and transportation of child pornography announced 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).

As part of his guilty plea, Kovacs admitted that in April of 2025, he produced a sexually explicit image of himself and a 10-year-old female child which Kovacs then uploaded to a pornographic website where other users could access and download the image.

The sexual exploitation charge against Kovacs carries a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in federal prison and maximum sentence of 30 years while the charge of transportation of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum term of five years and maximum sentence of 20 years. Both charges carry a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. Kovacs 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.

Sentencing is currently scheduled for October 6, 2026, in Utica, New York before United States District Judge, Anthony J. Brindisi.

First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: "This defendant has finally admitted the reprehensible conduct he engaged in which included his victimization of a nine-year-old child. My office will now ensure the defendant spends decades in federal prison where he belongs. Let this be a message to others who target and exploit children: we will find you, we will charge you, and we will put you behind bars."

FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig A. Tremaroli stated: "Mr. Kovacs' depraved abuse caused irreparable trauma to the child he victimized. This plea ensures he will spend at least the next two decades in federal prison. This investigation should send a strong message to any predator looking to perpetuate the abuse of our most vulnerable that the FBI will find you and send you to prison where you belong."

This case was investigated by the FBI's Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the New York State Police with assistance from the Waverly New York Police Department and the Broome County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle 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.