Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography
ALBANY, NEW YORK / Wednesday, March 4, 2026 – Gregory Magin, age 45, of Glenville, New York, pled guilty on March 2, 2026 to one count each of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division Craig Tremaroli; and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Magin admitted that in July 2024, he used an Internet-based messaging application (“application”) to encourage the production of multiple child pornography videos by another user who was actively sexually abusing a 14-year-old child. Magin then used the application to distribute one of those child pornography videos to another user. Additionally, during that same month, Magin possessed and distributed approximately 14 child pornography videos to other users of the application, including a video depicting the sexual abuse of a prepubescent child.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone stated: “As admitted through Magin’s plea agreement, Magin actively encouraged the sexual abuse of a minor and promoted the creation of multiple child pornography videos capturing that abuse. Magin’s monstrous crimes will not be tolerated by this Office and now Magin will be off the street and unable to victimize children for a long, long time. Let this be a warning to those who promote the sexual abuse of children: this Office will stop at nothing to identify you, prosecute you, and remove you from our communities. I thank the FBI and New York State Police for their steadfast dedication to investigating and bringing to justice those who prey on children.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli stated: “Not only did Mr. Magin encourage the abuse of a child, but he further exploited the victim by sharing the disgusting images of the abuse with other predators. Today’s plea ensures he will spend a substantial amount of time in federal prison for his horrific acts. The FBI will continue to use every resource available to our Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force to investigate and hold accountable dangerous predators preying on our most vulnerable.”
NYSP Superintendent Steven G. James stated: “Acts that threaten the well-being of children are unconscionable, and we will continue to seek justice for those who have been victimized. Anyone who preys upon and is involved in predatory acts against children must understand that such crimes will not be tolerated. I thank our State Police members, the United States Attorney’s Office, and partners in law enforcement for their unwavering proactive work on this case.”
At his sentencing on July 2, 2026, Magin faces a term of imprisonment of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. Magin also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. 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. He will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by FBI with the assistance of the Colonie Police Department and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney A.J. Vickey is prosecuting this 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.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of New York
