Brandon Hayward, a 41-year-old registered sex offender from Canandaigua, has pleaded guilty to a federal child pornography charge, with a potential prison sentence ranging from 10 to 20 years.
This guilty plea follows his prior conviction for sexual abuse. The announcement was made by Trini Ross, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. The plea, entered in federal court on Thursday, marks a significant development in the case against Hayward.
The case against Hayward unfolded after a November 2021 search warrant was executed at his apartment in Canandaigua. Initially intended to investigate potential firearms offenses, the search led to the seizure of several digital devices. Upon forensic analysis by authorities, these devices were found to contain child pornography, prompting further investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Ross, who is managing the case, detailed these findings in the course of the legal proceedings.
The investigation revealed that Hayward had produced several videos involving child pornography via Skype in 2017, featuring a 16-year-old minor from another state. This discovery adds to Hayward’s criminal history, as he was previously convicted of sexual abuse in 2000.
The current case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, highlighting the ongoing efforts to combat such crimes.
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