Syracuse man gets over 21 years in prison for getting child porn from kids via Snapchat

Syracuse, N.Y. — A Syracuse man was sentenced to prison Monday for receiving child pornography on Snapchat, federal prosecutors said.
William Futrell, 31, was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York. He pleaded guilty in May.
Court documents and prosecutors provided the following details:
On July 19, 2023, investigators received a tip after the social media app, Snapchat, reported a user uploaded a video file depicting child sexual abuse material on May 11, 2023. The video depicted a man, with visible tattoos, masturbating to a video of child pornography.
Investigators linked an IP address and phone number to Futrell. The tattoos on Futrell’s hands and forearms also matched photos on his Facebook page and past photos law enforcement took of his tattoos.
Futrell was already a level 2 sex offender who was convicted for promoting a sexual performance by a child in 2015.
On Aug. 30, 2023, investigators issued a search warrant for Futrell’s SnapChat, account where officers discovered dozens of chats associated with images and videos depicting child pornography.
Investigators found Futrell offered to pay girls for sexually explicit photos. He also messaged a 14-year-old girl from Knoxville, Tennessee on Snapchat who sent explicit videos and photos to Futrell.
Futrell admitted that he used Snapchat to communicate with minors from across the country. He also said he would offer to pay minors to send him explicit images, but had no intention of ever paying them.
On at least 10 occasions, Futrell received images directly from minors depicted in sexually explicit conduct.
After serving his time in prison, Futrell will serve a 15-year term of post-incarceration supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at [email protected]