Niskayuna man allegedly had child porn

PHOTOGRAPHER: Steven Cook

Share on Facebook

Save

A Niskayuna man was arrested this week on federal child pornography possession charges.

Jeremy Allen, 39, appeared in U.S. District Court in Albany on Wednesday morning and was released on bail after being held overnight.

He was arrested Tuesday after investigators from the FBI and Colonie police searched his residence following an investigation that dated back to December, according to the criminal complaint. Inside, investigators said they recovered a hard drive on which an initial search found pornography that depicted children estimated to be as young as 12.

Investigators said they also interviewed Allen, who admitted to downloading pornography involving children in sexually explicit poses and saving it to a hard drive in his bedroom. He also allegedly admitted to viewing child pornography for at least two years and knowing it was illegal.

The investigation began after a Colonie police investigator, working with the FBI-led Albany Child Exploitation Task Force, zeroed in on an Internet Protocol address later linked to Allen, according to the court papers. That address was linked to an online file-sharing network that allowed files to be downloaded by others and was found to be offering files for download that contained child pornography, according to the filing.

From Dec. 29 to April 15, investigators said they were able to download 318 files. Each of the images “appeared to depict sexually explicit images involving minors,” the complaint reads.

Investigators then identified Allen through a subpoena of the Internet service provider linked to the account. They also sought and received a search warrant for the Niskayuna residence Allen shares with his parents and grandmother, according to the filing.

Allen faces one count each of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. His listed attorney, Paul J. Evangelista of the federal public defender’s office, did not return a call for comment.

Prosecuting the case is Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Cox.