Nicholas Sherlock, a 33-year-old resident of Watervliet, New York, has been indicted and ordered detained on charges of receiving child pornography. The indictment alleges that Sherlock received multiple graphic images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct between August 2024 and May 2025 through a social media application over the Internet. Authorities emphasize that these are accusations and Sherlock is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III commented, “As alleged, Sherlock received child sexual abuse material over the internet. This is unfortunately a type of crime that is far too common. Every day we work hard to rid our communities of people who have a sexual interest in children. All such people belong in prison.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli added, “The allegations against Mr. Sherlock are repulsive, and the FBI is committed to dedicating every resource necessary to investigate these disturbing cases involving horrific images of our most vulnerable.”
If convicted, Sherlock faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and up to twenty years, along with a fine that could reach $250,000. He would also be subject to supervised release for at least five years and possibly for life, as well as sex offender registration requirements upon release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). The program coordinates federal, state, and local resources to locate offenders who exploit children online and identify victims for rescue efforts. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
