Timothy "Mitch" Duell, a 48-year-old resident of Schenectady County, New York, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for possessing child pornography. The sentence includes 10 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino announced the sentencing.
Duell had pleaded guilty to charges of possessing sexually explicit images of a child under 12 years old. He also admitted to participating in online chats where he expressed interest in engaging in sexual acts with the child.
In addition to the prison term and supervised release, United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino ordered Duell to pay $3,000 in restitution to the victim and forfeit the electronic device used in committing the offense. Upon his release, Duell will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian prosecuted the case under Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006. It is led by U.S. Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). The project aims to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet while identifying and rescuing victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.