Timmy Rifenburg, a 49-year-old resident of Binghamton, New York, has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison. This sentence follows his failure to register and update his registration as mandated by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) and for violating conditions of his supervised release from a previous conviction.
Rifenburg's legal troubles began with a 2007 federal conviction for possession of child pornography, which required him to register as a sex offender. In 2020, he was convicted again for failing to register as a sex offender. His latest sentencing includes 16 months in prison for not registering an email account under SORNA requirements and an additional consecutive term of 11 months for multiple violations related to his supervised release.
These violations include failing to report to the probation office, moving without approval from the probation office, possessing three unreported internet-capable cellphones, viewing adult pornography on these devices, and being unsuccessfully discharged from sex offender treatment.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tamara Thomson prosecuted it under Project Safe Childhood. This initiative aims to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating resources at various government levels.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and United States Marshal David L. McNulty announced the sentencing.
Project Safe Childhood is led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices alongside the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). It focuses on locating and prosecuting individuals exploiting children via the Internet while also working towards identifying and rescuing victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.