Jacob Ritchie, a 37-year-old man from Wolcott, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison and ten years of supervised release following his conviction on child pornography charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Federal prosecutors revealed that between November 2021 and February 2022, Ritchie engaged in online chat with an investigator from the New York State Police, believing he was conversing with a 12-year-old girl.
Ritchie, a level three sex offender, was alleged to have solicited pornographic images from the perceived child, attempted to arrange a meeting for sexual activities, and transmitted images of child pornography, with victims as young as eight years old. A subsequent search of Ritchie’s residence led to the recovery of a cell phone containing explicit pictures of toddlers and children being subjected to sexual abuse and violence.
Ritchie, who confessed to sexually abusing multiple children, pleaded guilty in October 2022. The U.S. Attorney’s Office pointed out that this is not Ritchie’s first conviction, with prior child sexual abuse convictions recorded in 2012, 2016, and 2017.
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