Press Release

David Hughes, aka Danielle Starr, Obtained a Sexually Explicit Video from a Minor He was Communicating with Over the Internet

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - David Hughes, aka Danielle Starr, 50, of Syracuse, and formerly of Oneida County, was sentenced today to serve 10 years in federal prison for possession of a sexually explicit video of a 13-year-old boy he received from the child over the internet.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the announcement.

In his earlier guilty plea, Hughes, who previously served 210 months in federal prison for a prior conviction for receipt and possession of child pornography, admitted that while on federal supervised release he used his monitored smart phone to communicate with a person he knew to be a 13-year-old boy. Hughes identified himself as, "Danielle Starr." In communications captured by the monitoring program, Hughes discussed engaging in sexual conduct with the child, and knowingly received a sexually explicit video the child produced for and sent to Hughes. Law enforcement identified the child as a minor from out of state, and notified the child's parents of the online activity.

In addition to the 10-year sentence, Hughes was sentenced to a concurrent 2-year term of imprisonment for violating the conditions of supervised release from his prior offense. He will be placed on supervision for 20 years when released from prison, and will continue to be required to register as a sex offender.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the United States Probation Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York, prosecuted the case.

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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Updated September 18, 2024