A Tioga County man, Tristan Kovacs, 21, from Waverly, New York, appeared in federal court on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a child and transportation of child pornography. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the FBI.
According to the complaint, in April 2025 Kovacs allegedly produced a sexually explicit image involving himself and a nine-year-old girl. He is accused of uploading this image to a pornographic website with the intent to earn money from other users. The website reported the upload, which prompted an investigation leading to Kovacs’ arrest.
If convicted on the charge of sexual exploitation of a child, Kovacs faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison. The charge for transportation of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years. Both charges include potential fines up to $250,000 and supervised release terms ranging from at least five years up to life. Upon release from prison, Kovacs would be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing will be determined by a judge based on relevant statutes and guidelines.
Kovacs was arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks and remains detained pending further proceedings.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “the defendant’s conduct as alleged in the complaint is despicable. Not only is the defendant alleged to have sexually exploited a child, but he also appears to have sought to profit from it. My office is committed to doing whatever is in our power to ensure this defendant never has the opportunity to harm another child.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig A. Tremaroli stated: “Hours after FBI Albany received this disturbing tip from law enforcement, Mr. Kovacs was in custody facing federal charges that carry significant sentences. The FBI will continue to devote every resource available to swiftly investigate these despicable predators and protect our most vulnerable. Our office is especially thankful to our partners at Waverly Police Department, New York State Police, and Broome County Sheriff’s Office for their invaluable assistance in this investigation.”
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force with support from New York State Police, Waverly Police Department, and Broome County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle is prosecuting as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a national program led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), working with federal, state, and local agencies against online child exploitation and abuse through efforts such as prosecution and victim identification.
More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
