Robert LaVair, a 19-year-old resident of Louisville, New York, has entered a guilty plea to charges of receiving and possessing child pornography. The announcement was made by United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
LaVair admitted that in January 2024, he downloaded numerous images and videos from the dark web containing child pornography. Additionally, he confessed to possessing sexually explicit content involving a nine-year-old child that he produced while the child was asleep.
The sentencing for LaVair will be determined by Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes. If the agreed-upon disposition is accepted at the sentencing on July 18, 2025, LaVair faces a federal prison term ranging from 14 to 15 years followed by 15 years of post-release supervision. He will also be required to pay restitution to the victims and register as a sex offender upon release.
The investigation was conducted by HSI and the New York State Police, with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorneys Adrian S. LaRochelle and Benjamin Gillis under Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is an initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. It is spearheaded by U.S. Attorneys' Offices alongside the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), coordinating resources across federal, state, and local levels to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
For further details about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.