Guilderland Man Indicted for Sexually Exploiting a Child

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Blake Spears, age 38, of Westmere, Town of Guilderland, New York, was indicted on August 29 on charges of sexual exploiting a child, and child pornography distribution and possession.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The indictment alleges that Spears sexually exploited a child on December 1, 2018, distributed child pornography on December 26, 2018, and possessed child pornography on February 15, 2019.

A previously filed criminal complaint alleges that Spears used the Kik phone messaging application to distribute child pornography in December 2018.  On February 15, 2019, FBI agents found child pornography on both a USB drive in Spears’s residence and on Spears’s cell phone.

The charges in the complaint and indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Spears, who has been in custody since February 15, 2019, faces at least 15 years in prison if convicted of all charges, as well as a term of post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department and New York State Police.   The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.