A New Jersey man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after authorities discovered hundreds of child pornography images on electronic devices during a border search as he returned to the United States from Canada.
Federal prosecutors said Daniel Lanfrit, 50, was sentenced May 13 in federal court in Utica to 60 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, Lanfrit admitted he was carrying a cellphone and tablet containing child pornography when he arrived at a U.S. port of entry after traveling in Canada.
Investigators said searches of the devices uncovered nearly 400 images of child pornography.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said the material was stored separately across both devices.
“The images were available to him wherever he was and whenever he wished,” Sarcone said in a statement announcing the sentence.
Erin Keegan said each image represented the abuse of a real child and credited investigators and prosecutors for pursuing the case.
U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Brindisi additionally ordered Lanfrit to pay $15,000 in restitution to victims and register as a sex offender following his release from prison.
The investigation was handled by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carling Dunham prosecuted the case.
The prosecution was conducted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide federal initiative focused on combating child exploitation and abuse.
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