He was a sick individual.
Stephen Nicot, a 61-year-old resident of Rochester, has been handed a 12-year prison sentence by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci Jr. following his conviction for receiving child pornography. This ruling comes after Nicot was found guilty of placing a hidden camera in the showers of a church’s bathroom with the sinister aim of filming minors.
The sentencing was confirmed in a press release issued by the office of U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross, Western District of New York, on Tuesday. According to the release, Nicot strategically positioned a camera within a church bathroom and shower area to clandestinely capture footage of individuals, including minors, in various states of undress, intending to distribute the resulting videos and images.
Authorities conducted a search of Nicot’s residence on July 21, 2022, where they uncovered a memory card and USB drive containing disturbing content depicting at least five children utilizing the church facilities. Additionally, two cell phones seized during the search revealed further incriminating evidence, including images of a naked minor victim recorded by a camera covertly placed within a bathroom at Nicot’s residence.
Nicot’s arrest occurred the previous year, on charges of producing and possessing child pornography, offenses carrying severe penalties ranging from a minimum of 15 years to a maximum of 30 years in prison. Notably, the memory card was concealed within a copy of the book Jesus Among Other Gods, as reported by the Democrat & Chronicle, a local news outlet based in Rochester.
Following his arrest, Nicot was granted release from custody last June, subject to stringent conditions including GPS monitoring, surrender of his passport, computer surveillance, and a prohibition from unsupervised contact with individuals under the age of 18, as detailed by the D&C.
In January, Nicot entered a guilty plea, an offense carrying a minimum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, with a maximum of 20 years and a potential fine of $250,000.