SYRACUSE, N.Y. – A New York man pleaded guilty to three charges in connection with online child sexual exploitation and abuse following an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo.
On Dec. 11 Richard Hockersmith, age 65, of Plattsburgh, New York pled guilty to conspiring to receive and distribute child pornography and possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. District Court for the District of Northern New York.
According to court documents, Hockersmith admitted that in August 2022, he began conspiring with his co-defendant, Jack Kelly, about exchanging child sexual abuse material. Hockersmith also admitted that during a search of his residence on September 12, he still possessed the SD card he and his co-defendant used to receive and distribute the material via the U.S. mail. The SD card still contained images and videos on it.
Hockersmith’s sentencing is scheduled for April 9, 2025, where he faces a term of imprisonment of at least five years and up to 20 years, a supervised release term of between five years and life, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Hockersmith will also be required to pay restitution to the victims of his offenses and will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police are assisting HSI Buffalo in the investigation.
Know2Protect (K2P) is a national public awareness campaign from the Department of Homeland Security. K2P’s aim is to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults, and policymakers to prevent, combat, and report online child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information, please visit our YouTube playlists at Know2Protect Campaign PSA Playlist and Know2Protect Digital Safety Series Playlist on the DHS main channel. Additional resources are available at Instagram, Facebook and X.