> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Federal Sexual Abuse Sentences in the Western District of New York, FY2016–2025 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-sexual-abuse-sentences-western-district-of-new-york/ - Published: 2026-11-04T11:00:15.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-04T11:00:15.000Z - Description: A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 184 of the 217 people (85%) sentenced under the Commission's "Sexual Abuse" offense type in the Western District of New York in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The median prison term was 180 months (15 years), the same as the median for all 94 federal districts. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Federal Sentences in the Western District of New York, FY201](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-western-district-of-new-york/) › Sexual Abuse: Western District of New York **In brief:** A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 184 of the 217 people (85%) sentenced under the Commission's "Sexual Abuse" offense type in the Western District of New York in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. The median prison term was 180 months (15 years), the same as the median for all 94 federal districts. After a trial the median was 360 months, compared with 168 months after a guilty plea. Updated November 4, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025 This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 217 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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) series, which builds on [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/). How the numbers were built: [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/). ## Mandatory Minimums Applied in Most Cases The U.S. Sentencing Commission recorded 217 people in this offense type in the district. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 184 (85%). Mandatory minimums set a floor on the prison term that a judge can impose. Of the 217, 215 (more than 99%) received a prison term, and 1 (less than 1%) received probation only. A life sentence was given to 2 people. ## Prison Terms and the Comparison With All Districts The median prison term was 180 months. A quarter received 240 months or more, and a quarter received 108 months or less. Across all districts, 12,095 people were sentenced in this offense type, and the median was also 180 months. The median for all offenses in the Western District of New York was 41 months, so these cases carried much longer terms than the district's cases overall. ## Guilty Pleas and Trials A total of 205 people (94%) pleaded guilty, and 12 were convicted after a trial. The median was 168 months after a guilty plea and 360 months after a trial. The trial figure is based on 12 people. The records do not show how the cases differed, so they cannot show what accounts for the gap. Among the guilty pleas, 98% had a written plea agreement and 2% were straight pleas. Nationally, 90% pleaded guilty in this offense type, and the district's rate for all offenses was 97%. ## Which Guidelines Were Used? The offense type is the Commission's category, assigned from the primary guideline. In this district, §2G2.1 (Sexually Exploiting a Minor by Production of Sexually Explicit Visual or Printed Material) was the primary guideline in 143 cases, and §2G1.3 (Promoting a Commercial Sex Act or Prohibited Sexual Conduct with a Minor) in 66. Smaller groups were §2G1.1 (Promoting a Commercial Sex Act or Prohibited Sexual Conduct with an Individual Other than a Minor) with 5 cases and §2A3.1 (Criminal Sexual Abuse) with 2\. These cases were 5% of the 4,205 people sentenced in the district. ## Position Against the Guideline Range Below the range at the government's request: 88 people (41%). Within the range: 64 (29%). Below the range without a government request: 62 (29%). Above the range: 3 (1%). Nationally, 41% of sentences in this offense type were within the range, and 42% were within the range for all offenses in the district. ## Supervised Release and Other Orders Supervised release after prison was ordered for 215 people (more than 99%), with a median term of 120 months. Supervised release for life was given to 23 (11%). A fine was ordered for 23 (11%), and restitution for 26 (12%). On criminal history, 61% were in the lowest category, category I, and 5% were in the highest, category VI. Court-martial records have no criminal history field. ## Counts by Year and Limits There were 95 people in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 122 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025\. The table gives each year, with 14 to 30 people. The median stayed between 120 and 204 months in all years. Only people who were convicted and sentenced are counted. The records do not show the facts of any case. | Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty | | ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- | | 2016 | 30 | 139.5 months | 90% | | 2017 | 17 | 188 months | 94% | | 2018 | 23 | 120 months | 96% | | 2019 | 25 | 180 months | 96% | | 2020 | 14 | 184 months | 93% | | 2021 | 21 | 180 months | 100% | | 2022 | 19 | 204 months | 100% | | 2023 | 22 | 180 months | 91% | | 2024 | 23 | 168 months | 91% | | 2025 | 23 | 180 months | 96% | ### How We Counted Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Western District of New York (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "New York West") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Sexual Abuse" (217). 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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/) (the background article) - [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) (all federal posts) - [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/) (sources and method) - [Federal Sentences in the Western District of New York, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-western-district-of-new-york/) (overview) - [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Western District of New York, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-western-district-of-new-york/) (same district, other offense type) - [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Western District of New York, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-western-district-of-new-york/) (same district, other offense type) - [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Western District of New York, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-western-district-of-new-york/) (same district, other offense type) - [Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Western District of New York, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-immigration-sentences-western-district-of-new-york/) (same district, other offense type) - [U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles](https://www.ussc.gov/research/datafiles/commission-datafiles?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source) - [Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants)](https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb?ref=bodiesburied.com) (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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.