Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Charles Wager, age 57, of Castleton-on-Hudson, New York, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison after a jury convicted him in February 2023 of attempting to entice a minor into engaging in unlawful sexual activities while he was required to register as a sex offender for his prior rape of a minor. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
The trial evidence established that in January and February 2021, Wager exchanged thousands of sexually explicit text messages with people he believed to be a 10-year-old girl and her mother. In these text messages, Wager, among other things, shared pornography with the presumed child to groom her into sexual activity with him, educated her on different sexual acts he would perform with the child, sent nude pictures of himself, and arranged for a reward system whereby he would provide the child with toys and treats for engaging in sexual acts with him. Wager arranged to meet with the presumed mother and 10-year-old in person and purchased a car to do so. On February 5, 2021, he traveled from Castleton-on-Hudson to Binghamton, New York, for the purpose of having sex with the presumed 10-year-old. He brought with him numerous toys that he intended to give the child as rewards for performing sexual acts with him. The defendant was arrested shortly after his arrival and has been detained ever since.
As further established at trial, in 2002, Wager pled guilty in Rensselaer County Court to rape in the third degree, after admitting to the rape of a then-15-year-old girl. He has been required to register as a sex offender ever since. Evidence at trial also established that Wager previously sexually molested two other minor victims several decades ago. In his prior crimes, he engaged in virtually identical grooming of his victims to the conduct he attempted on his intended 10-year-old victim in this case.
“Charles Wager is one of the most dangerous child predators our office has ever prosecuted, and that speaks volumes,” said Acting United States Attorney Sarcone. “We will continue to unleash the full powers of the federal government to hold these twisted and evil people accountable for their vile and despicable crimes. I commend the FBI for its flawless operation to bring this repeat, remorseless child predator to justice.”
Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Today’s significant sentence put an end to Mr. Wager’s horrific history of sexual abuse and vile behavior. This dangerous individual will now spend decades in federal prison where he can no longer harm any of our children. The FBI remains as dedicated as ever to ensuring any individual seeking to harm our most vulnerable is swiftly identified, investigated, and brought to justice.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Thomas R. Sutcliffe prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.