Brooklyn man indicted on federal child pornography charges with Albion victim

Press Release, US Attorney Michael DiGiacomo of Western District of New York

BUFFALO – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Alexey Aleksandrovich Moskalyuk, 27, of Brooklyn, NY, with production and distribution of child pornography, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 30 years.

According to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, on August 3, the Albion Police Department received a report from the mother of a missing minor female, who left home unexpectedly.

The mother turned over multiple electronic devices belonging to her daughter and consented to forensic reviews of the devices. She told investigators that the minor victim frequently communicated with adult males online through Discord and Snapchat. Albion Police located the minor victim the following day, on August 4, at a hotel in Niagara Falls, NY, accompanied by the defendant, who had traveled from Brooklyn to meet her.

The minor victim told investigators that she met Moskalyuk in an online group called “Cultist,” a group largely comprised of adult males and minor females. She stated that when she was 15 years old, she began video chats with Moskalyuk, which became sexually explicit in nature with Moskalyuk routinely requesting nude images.

Editor’s Note: The U.S. Attorney’s Office also said Moskalyuk met with the victim when she was 16 and engaged in sexual acts that were recorded on video. Investigators also recovered Moskalyuk actively engaged in “Cultist” group chats promoting harmful and coercive interactions with minor females.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas. The indictment is the result of an investigation by the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis, II and the Albion Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Mogle. Additional assistance was provided by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the Honolulu FBI Office.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.