Allegany County jail officer facing child pornography charges, suspended without pay

Neal Simon, The Evening Tribune
·2 min read
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An Allegany County jail corrections officer has been suspended without pay after New York State Police charged him with possessing child pornography.

John C. Palmer, 37, has worked as a full-time corrections officer at the county jail since 2017, according to Allegany County Sheriff Scott Cicirello. On Wednesday, troopers charged Palmer with felony counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child and possessing a sexual performance by a child.

Palmer, of Bolivar, was arraigned in Village of Bolivar Court and released on his own recognizance to await a court date scheduled for later in January.

Sheriff suspends Palmer without pay pending internal investigation

Cicirello said Palmer has been suspended without pay "pending the outcome of an internal investigation into the matter."

The sheriff’s office is cooperating with New York State Police investigators and there is no timeline for completing the internal investigation, according to Cicirello.

Investigators said Palmer's arrest followed a probe by state police and the Troop A Computer Crimes Unit, which conducted an "Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation in the Town of Bolivar."

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Cicirello, who was sworn in earlier this week as sheriff after being elected to his first term in November, said, “There is zero evidence, zero indication that anything happened while (Palmer was) employed here at the Sheriff’s Office."

Cicirello served as undersheriff prior to being elected to the department's top job.

Promoting a sexual performance by a child carries a potential prison sentence of up to seven years, if convicted. A conviction for possessing a sexual performance by a child could bring a prison term of up to four years, but the law also allows for a sentence of probation.

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This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Allegany County corrections officer faces child porn charges