Watervliet Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Sexually Exploiting a Child

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Aaron Vroman, age 30, of Watervliet, New York, was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for sexually exploiting a child.

The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

In pleading guilty, Vroman admitted that, on at least four occasions, he secretly video-recorded a minor using the bathroom for the purposes of obtaining sexually explicit images of the victim’s genitals.  Vroman also admitted that he touched that same victim’s genital area over the victim’s underwear while the victim was sleeping and that he video-recorded that conduct.  Vroman also possessed images of child pornography on his laptop computer that did not involve the victim and that he obtained via the internet, including videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of pre-pubescent girls.

Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue also imposed a 25-year term of supervised release, which will start after Vroman is released from prison. As a result of his conviction, Vroman will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

Vroman’s case was investigated by HSI, with assistance from the New York State Police and the Colonie Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey J. L. Brown and Michael D. Gadarian.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.