Thomas Berrington, a 33-year-old resident of Colonie, New York, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for the sexual exploitation of a child. The 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).
Berrington had previously pleaded guilty to charges related to his actions between June 2023 and January 2024. During this period, he admitted to sexually abusing an eight-year-old female child with the intent to photograph and video record the abuse.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 25-year term of supervised release following Berrington's imprisonment. He is required to pay a special assessment totaling $5,200 and must register as a sex offender upon his release.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. This team includes FBI Special Agents as well as state and local police investigators from agencies such as the New York State Police and Colonie Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle prosecuted the case under Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child exploitation via the Internet. It brings together federal, state, and local resources to locate offenders and rescue victims. More information about this project can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.