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A Syracuse man, Paul Mignacca, age 46, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for distributing, transporting, and possessing child pornography. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York announced the sentence, highlighting Mignacca's illegal activities between September 2023 and February 2024. During this period, Mignacca uploaded numerous videos of child sexual abuse material to a social media group chat and a private account on a file-sharing application.
Law enforcement arrested Mignacca in April 2024, seizing his electronic devices. A forensic analysis revealed over 3,400 files of child pornography, including videos depicting the abuse of girls under the age of 12. Chief District Judge Brenda K. Sannes ordered Mignacca to serve a 10-year term of supervised release following his prison sentence. He must also pay $60,000 in restitution to the children identified in the pornography and forfeit the electronic devices used in his crimes. Mignacca will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit their website.