According to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Chief…

According to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Derrick O'Meara, who is the Director of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center, a Utica man has been arrested after illicit material was found in his possession.

The investigation began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a report indicating that an unknown individual had uploaded child exploitation material to several social media platforms. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) contacted the New York State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) in Albany and then transferred the case to the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center.

The case was assigned to Sheriff’s Investigator Mark R. Chrysler.

The NCMEC, ICAC, and Investigator Chrysler’s investigation, along with the continued assistance from a Task Force Officer with Homeland Security Investigations, generated enough evidence and probable cause to draw a search warrant for the residence in the City of Utica.

On the morning of November 6, 2024, members of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center, which is comprised of Investigators from the Utica City Police Department, Rome City Police Department, New York State Police and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, along with assistance from the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Identification Unit, and members of the Sheriff’s Office and Utica Police patrol divisions, executed a search warrant at a residence on Caroline Street in the City of Utica.

After the execution of the search warrant, Investigator Chrysler charged Tyler J. Brown, age 21, with one count of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child, a Class E Felony, and two counts of Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child, which are Class D Felonies.

Brown was processed at the Oneida County Sheriff’s office and later transported to their correctional facility where he was held for arraignment at CAP Court.

After the arraignment, Brown was remanded to the Oneida County Jail en lieu of $25,000 cash bail.

The case has been referred to the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office for review and further charges are possible.