A Bronx man, Anthony Wallace, will spend 33 years and four months in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of kidnapping, sexually abusing, and producing child pornography involving a 15-year-old girl. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil handed down the sentence on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, capping a case that began in April 2024 when the teen broke free from a barricaded Bronx apartment and alerted police.
Judge Hands Down 33-Year Term
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, SDNY, Wallace, 33, was sentenced on federal counts that include kidnapping a minor, coercing and enticing a minor, transporting a minor across state lines for unlawful sexual activity, and producing and possessing child pornography. The punishment follows a jury verdict returned in December 2025 after a week-long trial, a proceeding that earlier coverage noted could leave him behind bars for life, as reported when he faced life in prison.
U.S. Attorney’s Statement
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton did not mince words in reacting to the outcome. In a post on X, he wrote that Wallace is now "where he belongs" and where New York parents want him: off the streets. Clayton praised the work of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the NYPD, emphasizing that his office approaches cases like this with a victim-focused lens.
How Prosecutors Say The Case Unfolded
Prosecutors say Wallace first encountered the 15-year-old in Binghamton in March 2024, then refused to let her go. According to earlier reporting and court filings summarized when he was convicted by a jury, he forced the teen to change her appearance, supplied drugs, and created sexually explicit recordings before transporting her to a Bronx apartment that had been barricaded. On April 4, 2024, she managed to climb out of a window and immediately called 911, triggering the investigation that led to his federal indictment.
Sentence Details And Next Steps
The court also ordered 10 years of supervised release, $3,000 in restitution, and $500 in mandatory special assessments, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, SDNY. The case was prosecuted by the office’s General Crimes Unit.
Officials say the outcome highlights the federal focus on child sexual exploitation cases and the importance of close coordination between federal agents and local police. Authorities are urging anyone with information about similar crimes to contact law enforcement or victim-services partners so potential victims can be identified and protected sooner rather than later.
