Martin Connearney, a 35-year-old resident of Lenox, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 151 months in prison after pleading guilty to crossing state lines with the intent to engage in sexual acts with a minor. This announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Connearney admitted that between April 6 and May 5, 2022, he communicated with an undercover agent posing as an individual who would facilitate his planned abuse of a 10-year-old girl with speech and hearing difficulties living in the Capital Region. On May 5, 2022, Connearney drove from Lenox to meet with the undercover agent but was arrested by law enforcement officials at a prearranged location.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci imposed the sentence based on an enhanced prison range under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines due to Connearney's intention to exploit a vulnerable victim. Court documents revealed that Connearney believed there was less risk of being caught because of the child's disabilities. In addition to his prison term, Connearney will serve a 20-year supervised release period and must register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the FBI Albany Division’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes members from various federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies such as the Colonie Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted this case under Project Safe Childhood. This initiative was launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to coordinate efforts among federal, state, and local resources for locating and prosecuting individuals exploiting children via the Internet and rescuing victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.