Upstate New York man sentenced for possession of child pornography

BUFFALO, N.Y — An upstate New York man who was previously convicted of possession of child pornography, was sentenced to 24 months in prison. The sentence is the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Michael Gilmartin, 19, of Amherst, N.Y., possessed computer equipment containing over 600 images of child pornography. Some of the images depicted prepubescent children younger than 12 years of age.

HSI's ongoing efforts to target suspects involved in child exploitation offenses are part of Operation Predator, a nationwide HSI initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders and child sex traffickers. HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O'Donnell, Western District of New York.