Syracuse man receives 78-month sentence for child exploitation crimes
Paul Mignacca, 46, of Syracuse, New York, was sentenced today to 78 months in federal prison for distribution, transportation, and possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.
Federal prosecutors stated that between September 2023 and February 2024, Mignacca uploaded multiple videos of child sexual abuse material to a group chat on a social media application and stored additional material on a private file-sharing account. Law enforcement arrested him in April 2024 and later discovered more than 3,400 files containing child pornography on his electronic devices.
United States Chief District Judge Brenda K. Sannes imposed the sentence and ordered Mignacca to serve a 10-year term of supervised release after his prison term. Mignacca must also pay $60,000 in restitution to the children identified in the material he possessed and forfeit the device used to commit the crimes. He will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.
Investigation led by FBI task force
The FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force led the investigation, with support from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis prosecuted the case.
The investigation and prosecution were part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat child sexual exploitation. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children online. More information about Project Safe Childhood is available at justice.gov/psc.
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