ALBANY — A lifetime state-registered sex offender living in Johnstown has been arrested by federal authorities for alleged distribution of child pornography.
Charles Guyer, 59, of 104 W. Green St., was arrested on a charge of distributing child pornography, a U.S. Department of Justice news release issued Tuesday indicated.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin M. Kelly, special agent in charge of the Buffalo field office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The case is being investigated by HSI — with assistance from the Johnstown Police Department — and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph A. Giovannetti.
Guyer made an initial appearance in Albany before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, who ordered him detained pending further proceedings.
“The complaint filed against Guyer alleges that in March and April 2018, he used file-sharing software to distribute child pornography over the internet,” the release said.
If convicted on all charges, he faces a minimum 15 years and up to 40 years in federal prison, a maximum $250,000 fine, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least five years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. sentencing guidelines, and other factors, the release said.
Johnstown police Chief David Gilbo didn’t return a phone call seeking comment this morning.
Guyer is a lifetime New York state-registered sex offender.
According to the New York state sex offender registry, he was convicted Aug. 26, 1996 in Montgomery County of first-degree deviate sexual intercourse sexual contact with a seven-year-old girl. His crimes were said to have taken place Jan. 1, 1996. He was sentenced to seven years in state prison and was released on parole.
In August 2001, he returned to prison for an unknown parole violation.
Gloversville police arrested Guyer Sept. 9, 2014 on a parole warrant with a felony for failing to register as a sex offender for the third time. The disposition of that case was unknown this morning.
The Department of Justice release said Guyer’s case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, the public can visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at [email protected]
