Federal Sexual Abuse Sentences in the Eastern District of New York, FY2016–2025
129 people were sentenced for sexual abuse offenses in the Eastern District of New York in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 124 (96%) received a prison term, and the median prison term was 180 months (15 years), the same as the median across all 94 federal districts. A mandatory minimum applied to 101 of
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Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the Eastern District of New York, FY201 › Sexual Abuse: Eastern District of New York
In brief: 129 people were sentenced for sexual abuse offenses in the Eastern District of New York in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 124 (96%) received a prison term, and the median prison term was 180 months (15 years), the same as the median across all 94 federal districts. A mandatory minimum applied to 101 of 128 people (79%).
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 129 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. It is part of the Federal Prosecution Analysis series, which builds on Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System. How the numbers were built: How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built.
A Median of 180 Months, Matching the National Figure
The U.S. Sentencing Commission lists 129 people in this district under the offense type "Sexual Abuse." 124 of them (96%) were sentenced to prison, and 4 (3%) received probation only. 1 person received a life sentence.
The median prison term was 180 months. A quarter received 276 months or more, and a quarter received 120 months or less. Across all districts, the median was also 180 months. For all offenses in this district, it was 27 months. The terms are those imposed, not time served.
Mandatory Minimums Applied in Most Cases
A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 101 of the 128 people with that information recorded (79%). A mandatory minimum is a statutory floor for the sentence.
Separately, 50% of the sentences (65 people) were below the guideline range without a government request. The guideline range is the recommended range calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. 29% (38 people) were within the range, and 17% (22 people) were below the range at the government's request. 3% (4 people) were above the range.
For all districts, 41% of sexual abuse sentences were within the range. For all offenses in this district, the share was 24%.
What the Guidelines Show About These Cases
The offense type is a category used by the Commission, and it groups several kinds of cases. The most common primary guideline was §2G2.1 (Sexually Exploiting a Minor by Production of Sexually Explicit Visual or Printed Material), with 52 people. §2G1.3 (Promoting a Commercial Sex Act or Prohibited Sexual Conduct with a Minor) had 39 people. §2A3.1 (Criminal Sexual Abuse) had 33 people, and §2A3.4 (Abusive Sexual Contact or Attempt to Commit Abusive Sexual Contact) had 2.
The records do not give the facts of any case.
Median Terms After Pleas and Trials
113 of the 129 people (88%) pleaded guilty, and 16 were convicted after a trial. The median prison term was 180 months after a guilty plea and 360 months after a trial, based on 15 people sent to prison. Among guilty pleas, 95% had a written plea agreement, and 5% were straight pleas.
The national plea rate for this offense type was 90%.
Release, Fines, and Criminal History
123 people (95%) were ordered to serve supervised release after prison. The median term was 60 months, and 8 people (6%) received supervised release for life. A fine was ordered for 8 people (6%), and restitution for 53 (41%).
In criminal history, 80% were in the lowest category, Category I, and 2% were in the highest, Category VI. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
Counts by Fiscal Year
Sexual abuse cases were 2% of the 6,411 people sentenced in the district. Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 had 53 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 had 76. The table has no row for fiscal year 2020. The yearly median ranged from 120 months to 262 months, and the fiscal year 2021 figure rests on 4 people.
The Commission counts only people who were convicted and sentenced, so acquittals and dismissals are not in the data.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 17 | 180 months | 88% |
| 2017 | 11 | 120 months | 91% |
| 2018 | 10 | 120 months | 90% |
| 2019 | 15 | 144 months | 100% |
| 2021 | 4 | 262 months | 3 of 4 |
| 2022 | 17 | 180 months | 71% |
| 2023 | 19 | 204 months | 84% |
| 2024 | 18 | 156 months | 100% |
| 2025 | 18 | 240 months | 83% |
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Eastern District of New York (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "New York East") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Sexual Abuse" (129). Offense types are the Commission's OFFGUIDE categories.
Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records.
What to Keep in Mind
No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct. Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served.
Federal supervised release. Most federal prison sentences are followed by a term of supervised release that the judge sets as part of the sentence. A person who violates it can be sent back to prison. A court-martial cannot sentence anyone to supervision after release. Military parole and mandatory supervised release are decided later by a board, not by the judge at trial.
Who decides the sentence, and under what rules. Federal judges sentence every federal case. They must calculate the Sentencing Guidelines range, which is advisory, and must impose any mandatory minimum the statute requires unless an exception applies. In courts-martial, the accused could choose sentencing by members until the rules changed. For cases in which every guilty finding is for an offense committed after December 27, 2023, a military judge sentences alone, within sentencing parameters. Courts-martial tried in 2024 and later include both old-rule and new-rule cases, and the data cannot tell them apart.
Time periods. Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually.
How life sentences and "time served" are counted. In the federal numbers, a life sentence is counted as 470 months, and any other sentence longer than 470 months is counted as just under 470 months. A sentence of "time served" is counted as one day (0.03 months). Averages are affected by these rules; medians much less.
Mandatory minimum sentences. Many federal statutes on drugs, images of child exploitation, child sex abuse, and firearms carry mandatory minimum prison terms. The UCMJ has mandatory minimums only for a few offenses (a dishonorable discharge or dismissal for rape and sexual assault, and life for premeditated murder). Federal sentences for these offenses are partly set by Congress, not by the judge.
Related Analysis
- Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System (the background article)
- Federal Prosecution Analysis (all federal posts)
- How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built (sources and method)
- Federal Sentences in the Eastern District of New York, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Eastern District of New York, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Eastern District of New York, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the Eastern District of New York, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Eastern District of New York, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles (source)
- Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants) (source)
About the author. Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts Where All The Bodies Are Buried and runs the Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.