A 20-year-old Oswego man appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Syracuse on Oct. 9 and was ordered detained after prosecutors accused him of sexually abusing a 9-year-old child and recording the abuse on video. Emerardo Abisai Vasquez-Lopez now faces three federal counts: sexual exploitation of a child, transportation of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
According to a criminal complaint described by syracuse.com, Vasquez-Lopez took photos and videos of himself sexually abusing the child. He reportedly told investigators the abuse took place between August and October 2024. Prosecutors said he uploaded the material to a cloud storage account he controlled, and the complaint alleges he later downloaded child sexual abuse material from that same account, with some of it found on an electronic device seized when he was arrested.
How the Investigation Reached His Door
Per Fingerlakes1.com, Homeland Security Investigations and the New York State Police are both investigating the case. The Department of Homeland Security began investigating this month after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children flagged material uploaded to Google servers, the same syracuse.com report notes. Investigators found that the account tied to Vasquez-Lopez had been flagged multiple times before for similar activity.
On Oct. 8, officers executed a search warrant at his home and found child pornography videos on his phones, per the report. Vasquez-Lopez reportedly told police he owned the account containing the material and knew the files were there. He was arrested the following day and ordered detained after his federal court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchell J. Katz, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Potential Penalties and Immigration Status
The sexual exploitation charge alone carries a potential sentence of 15 to 30 years in federal prison if he is convicted, the station's report states. The transportation charge carries a term of five to 20 years, and the possession charge carries up to 20 years. Each count also carries a potential fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release ranging from five years to life, with a judge ultimately determining any sentence under applicable statutes and federal sentencing guidelines.
If convicted, Vasquez-Lopez would also be required to register as a sex offender after his release from prison, the same account notes. Prosecutors said he is not a legal resident of the United States and lacks lawful immigration status, meaning he could face deportation in addition to any criminal sentence.
A Federal Initiative Targeting Child Exploitation
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Childhood, a federal initiative that coordinates agencies investigating child exploitation and working to identify and rescue victims. Anthony Patrone said investigators work to identify people exploiting children, safeguard victims and hold offenders accountable, according to the announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The charges against Vasquez-Lopez are part of a broader run of federal child exploitation cases moving through courts in the region this fall. Thomas Pennington, 57, of Syracuse, appeared in federal court on charges of receiving child pornography, and Zachary Long, 27, of Scotia, pleaded guilty to attempted online coercion and enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography, according to separate announcements from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Robert Bowen, 46, of Canton, was found guilty of sexual exploitation of a child and receipt of child pornography following a bench trial, while Terry Mead Jr., 51, of Watervliet, was convicted in September of sexual exploitation of a child while under a duty to register as a sex offender and distribution of child pornography.
Vasquez-Lopez faces three federal charges related to the alleged conduct.
