PHILADELPHIA, PA — Patrick Knauss, a 35-year-old resident of Essex Junction, Vermont, was sentenced on Tuesday to 265 months in federal prison for his involvement in a child pornography conspiracy that spanned multiple years, as announced by United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. The sentencing, delivered by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney, also includes 15 years of supervised release, $3,000 in restitution, and a $300 special assessment.
The indictment, issued in February 2024, charged Knauss with conspiracy to manufacture, receive, and distribute child pornography. He admitted guilt to these charges in June. The elaborate scheme, which he orchestrated alongside co-conspirators Andrew Wolf and Kray Strange, involved catfishing minor boys into self-producing sexually explicit content.
The operation ran for over two years, targeting boys with substantial social media followings and many of Wolf’s middle school students. Wolf, a middle school teacher in his 18th year at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia, and Strange, residing in Carthage, New York, engaged in extensive communication with Knauss. Their discussions revealed a shared interest in exploiting children, resulting in the exchange of illicit materials.
Wolf and Strange were previously sentenced for their roles in the scheme. Wolf received 466 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, while Strange was sentenced to 396 months, with lifelong supervised release. Both were mandated to pay restitution totaling $324,320 to six minor victims.
U.S. Attorney Romero expressed the gravity of Knauss’s actions, stating, “For more than two years, Patrick Knauss took part in a scheme that victimized dozens of children. Knauss not only encouraged his co-conspirator, teacher Andrew Wolf, to catfish his own students, he even suggested some strategies for doing so. Know that my office and the FBI will never stop working to hold predators like this accountable and protect our children from sexual exploitation.”
FBI Special Agent Wayne A. Jacobs emphasized the seriousness of such crimes, saying, “The online exploitation of children is one of the most egregious crimes the FBI investigates. This sentencing underscores that FBI and our partners are committed to safeguarding children and ensuring that those who harm them will face consequences.”
The investigation was spearheaded by the FBI with assistance from the Vermont Attorney General’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Harrell.
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