In separate cases, two Central New York men both pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography. They entered their pleas in U.S. District Court in Syracuse.

A 45-year-old Fulton man pleaded guilty Tuesday to transporting, receiving and possessing child pornography. Investigators found 474 images and 11 videos among his collection of electronic media. Some of the children the depicted in the images and videos were children the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children had identified as children who were known to have been taken advantage of by the industry. He could be sentenced to up to 60 years in prison on May 31. He has a prior conviction for a sex offense involving a minor in his record, so his punishment will likely be more severe than usual.

The second man who pleaded guilty to a child pornography-related offense was a 48-year-old North Syracuse man. He also pleaded guilty Tuesday to transporting, receiving and possessing child pornography. He allegedly used an alias that suggested he was a woman who had a three-year-old child, whom she abused, and masqueraded as this woman online. He came to the attention of police when he shared child pornography with an undercover investigator in 2010. When he was arrested, police found an additional 1,600 images and 950 videos on electronic devices in his possession. He will be sentenced May 31. He could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.

Both men will be required to register as sex offenders if and when they are released.

Source: The Syracuse Post-Standard, "North Syracuse and Fulton residents admit in federal court to possessing child pornography," Robert A. Baker, Jan. 31, 2011