CONTACT:      Barbara Burns

PHONE:         (716) 843-5817

FAX:            (716) 551-3051

Rochester, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Eric P. Laube, 45, of Canandaigua, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a minimum sentenced of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in August, 2017, an undercover FBI Task Force Officer connected to a certain Peer-To-Peer network, and discovered that a device belonging to the defendant was being used to distribute video and picture files containing child pornography. The images and video depicted naked, prepubescent females.

In December, 2017, a federal search warrant was executed at Laube’s State Route 64 residence. Officers seized several digital devices, including two portable hard drives, a thumb drive, a laptop, and a desktop computer. A subsequent review determined that the devices contained approximately 1,130 images of child pornography and approximately 10 videos of child pornography.

The defendant made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman and was released on electronic monitoring.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the Direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; and the Ontario County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Philip Povero. 

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.