A months-long investigation into child exploitation has led to a sweeping felony indictment against a Cayuga County man already convicted in a previous sex crime involving a minor.
Gregory D. Flynn, 38, of Juniper Hill Road in the Town of Sterling, was indicted March 28 on 19 counts of Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child and four counts of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child. The charges stem from an investigation launched after a Cyber Tipline report received March 20 last year by the New York State Police in Auburn.
The tip, issued by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, reported suspected possession of child abuse material. Investigators from the State Police Auburn Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Troop E Computer Crimes Unit, and Troop E Forensic Investigation Unit executed a search warrant at Flynn’s residence on May 29, seizing multiple electronic devices. A forensic review later revealed child sexual abuse material on several of the devices.
As the case unfolded, police received additional tips from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, pointing to more instances of material possession occurring after the May search. The findings led to the February 5 grand jury indictment and Flynn’s subsequent arrest at the end of March. He was processed at State Police Auburn and taken to the Cayuga County Jail, where he is being held without bail. He appeared in Cayuga County Court on April 1.
Flynn’s arrest follows a prior case that began in July 2023, when police in Wolcott received a report that Flynn had contacted a 16-year-old girl through Facebook and Snapchat. He allegedly sent the girl two nude videos of himself. State Police arrested Flynn on a warrant and charged him with Disseminating Indecent Material to a Minor and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
He ultimately pled guilty on April 18 to two reduced counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child after the felony charge was dismissed. Wayne County District Attorney Christine Callanan said the felony charge could not proceed due to a court ruling that declared the statute unconstitutional.
“This case was reduced to a misdemeanor because the felony charge of Disseminating Indecent Materials to a Minor in the Second Degree has been declared unconstitutional by American Libraries Association v. Pataki,” Callanan said. “Although the conduct is disgusting, we could not proceed with prosecution on the felony.”
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].