On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Peter Nealon, 66, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, after being convicted of traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion. Nealon was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment fee, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.

Court documents revealed that Nealon first made contact with an undercover officer posing as a fifteen-year-old girl on Instagram beginning around July 17, 2023. Over months, conversations of an overtly sexual nature transpired, where Nealon transmitted images, and videos of his genitalia. His messages showed that he planned to travel to Louisiana to meet the girl with the intent of engaging in sexual acts, as reported by the United States Attorney’s Office.

In February 2024, Nealon used a messaging app to communicate with someone he thought was a 14-year-old, which played a role in the charges against him. This case brings attention to the dangers of online exploitation and the ways individuals can use social media to target minors, as stated by the United States Attorney’s Office.