Zachary Cota, a 32-year-old from Castleton-on-Hudson, New York, has been sentenced to 292 months in prison for receiving child pornography. This announcement was made by United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Albany Field Office.
Cota admitted to using SnapChat to solicit nude photos from three children. After an 8-year-old and a 13-year-old complied, Cota threatened them to obtain more material. At the time of these offenses, Cota was on probation for a previous conviction related to sexual conduct against a child. When his probation officer requested access to his phone, Cota attempted to delete its contents while locked in a bathroom. A forensic examination later uncovered 900 additional images of child pornography on his device.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III commented: “Cota’s depraved and disgusting conduct has justly resulted in a lengthy term of imprisonment that will make our community safer. We will continue to investigate and prosecute sex offenders and pedophiles who use the Internet and social media applications to prey on children.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli added: “Today’s sentence underscores the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting children from dangerous predators like Mr. Cota. We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners at every level to identify and investigate these disturbing individuals and ensure justice is delivered to the victims.”
The sentencing by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci includes a life term of supervised release for Cota, who must also forfeit the Samsung phone used in committing the crime and continue registering as a sex offender after his release.
The case was investigated by the FBI Albany Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner under Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Project Safe Childhood is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices alongside the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). It coordinates federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals exploiting children online while identifying and rescuing victims.