NY pastor sentenced to federal prison after admitting to downloading child porn ‘for years’

A Central New York antheral who worked arsenic a pastor for decades has been sentenced to 3 years successful national prison for possession of kid pornography.

James H. Swanson, 59, of Rome, N.Y., was arrested conscionable implicit a twelvemonth ago connected charges of receipt and proscription of kid pornography.

Investigators said Swanson would, for years, download kid pornography from the net and past upload the files to a unreality retention relationship — charges that carried up to 20 years successful situation and a maximum good of $250,000.

But prosecutors said that.Swanson pleaded blameworthy to the charges. As portion of the agreement, helium admitted to downloading and redeeming “several” kid porn files betwixt March 25 and March 28, 2022.

He besides admitted helium had been doing that “for years,” adding helium would “periodically purge his postulation of kid pornography earlier yet accessing, viewing, and downloading more,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York said successful a quality release.

On Friday, Judge Brenda K. Sannes sentenced Swanson to 3 years successful situation followed by 15 years of supervised release. He volition besides beryllium required to registry arsenic a enactment offender.

According to documents filed successful court, the disgraced seasoned pastor “most precocious served arsenic the pastor of the Rome Wesleyan Church.”

A religion typical didn’t instantly instrumentality a petition for remark connected Saturday.