According to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Chief…

According to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Derrick O'Meara, who is the Director of the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center, a Utica man has been arrested for having sexual contact with an underage child.

The investigation began when an anonymous tip was received at the Child Advocacy Center that involved an underage female child who had discovered a surveillance camera in her bedroom. The case was assigned to Sheriff’s Investigator Mark R. Chrysler. Upon an interview with the child, it was further learned that the adult male in the home, who is also a registered sex offender, 40-year-old Keenan Gant, had allegedly been subjecting the child to sexual contact. Investigator Chrysler found enough evidence, and with assistance from the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, a search warrant was drawn up for the residence that was located on Court Street in the City of Utica.

Investigator Chrysler, with the assistance of Rome Police Detective Alexis Perry and Utica Police Investigator Ryan Kelly, both of whom are assigned to the Child Advocacy Center, along with assistance from the Utica Police Department Patrol Division, executed the search warrant on April 15, 2025.

The Investigation found several surveillance cameras hidden in the home in places where there was a reasonable expectation of privacy. More evidence was secured, and Gant was later charged with one count of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a Class D Felony, Unlawful Surveillance in the Second Degree, a Class E Felony, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A Misdemeanor.

Gant was processed at the Utica Police Department and then transported to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office where he was held for arraignment at Utica City Court on April 16, 2025. After arraignment, Gant was remanded to be held at the Oneida County Correctional Facility without bail.

Oneida County Child Protective Services that are assigned to the Child Advocacy Center have been notified and are assisting the child and family. Further services have been offered to the child and family through the Child Advocacy Center, and an Order of Protection has been issued on the child’s behalf.