Clinton County Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution, Receipt, and Possession of Child Pornography

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Anthony Deyoe, age 45, of Au Sable Forks, New York, pled guilty yesterday to distributing, receiving, and possessing child pornography announced 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, Deyoe admitted that in June of 2024, he exchanged child sexual abuse material with other users of an online social networking application installed on his cellular telephone. Deyoe also admitted that in December of 2024, during a search conducted by law enforcement, he possessed numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse material on the same cellular telephone. Deyoe admitted that he committed these offenses after previous convictions in New York State, one in 2008 for Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree, and in 2018 of Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child.

U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated, "Protecting children is my top priority. I am thankful to HSI and the NYSP for their partnership and assistance in bringing this defendant to justice. Every child should feel safe, and my office will do whatever it can to make sure that happens."

"Through his admitted crimes, Anthony Deyoe placed his own abhorrent desires above the safety of child victims. HSI Rouses Point is committed to working with our partners in pursuit of justice for the innocent minor population who are victimized by online perpetrators," said HSI Buffalo Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan.

At sentencing, currently scheduled for November 5, 2025, in Utica, New York, Deyoe faces a term of imprisonment between 15 and 40 years for each of the receipt and distribution counts. For the possession count, Deyoe faces a term of imprisonment between 10 and 20 years. Deyoe also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. He will also be required to continue 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.

This case was investigated by HSI with assistance from New York State Police and members of the Tri-County Special Response Team which is made up of law enforcement personnel from Clinton, Essex, and Franklin County. 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.