UTICA -- A former maintenance mechanic with the U.S. Postal Service, who admits he used a government computer to view child pornography, will spend the next several years behind bars.
56-year-old Michael Geary, of Utica, was sentenced last Wednesday in federal court to 70 months in prison and 20 years post supervised release.
He pleaded guilty to using a government computer at the Utica post office to search for, receive and view child pornography.
As part of his sentence, Geary must also now register as a sex offender and undergo sex offender treatment. He was also ordered to pay a special assessment of $200.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, with assistance by the Utica Police Department, and Oneida County District Attorney's Office, as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood uses federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute people who exploit children through the the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, click here.
Do you think the program is effective? What else could law enforcement do to protect children from becoming victims of sexual predators online? Are you concerned about your kids getting exploited? Leave your thoughts below.
