A Rochester man has been arrested following a long-running child exploitation investigation led by the New York State Police.
32-year-old Adam Hawley was taken into custody after investigators determined he had allegedly possessed child sexual abuse material on multiple electronic devices.
The investigation began in September 2024 when the New York State Police received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about the online sharing of suspected child sexual abuse material through a social media platform. Authorities traced the activity to a residence on Alvin Place in the city of Rochester.
On March 6, 2025, members of the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Rochester and the Troop E Computer Crimes Unit executed a search warrant at the home, seizing several electronic devices for forensic testing. Those devices were later examined at the State Police Computer Forensics Laboratory, where investigators said they confirmed the presence of child sexual abuse material.
As a result of the investigation, Hawley voluntarily appeared at the State Police barracks in Rochester on Jan. 27 and was taken into custody without incident. He was charged with one count of Possession of a Sexual Performance by a Child, a Class E felony.
Hawley was issued an appearance ticket and released.
