Child abuse and exploitation arrests and convictions continue
From the U.S Attorney Michael DiGiacomo,
REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER ARRESTED ON MULTIPLE NEW CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that John Peterson, 42, of Jamestown, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with distribution and possession of child pornography by a person with a prior child pornography conviction, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A.C. Penrose, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in June 2025, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from the messaging app Kik that two files of suspected child pornography were uploaded between June 14 and June 16, 2025. The files were uploaded with the username “hardinny41_mkc” and were shared with other Kik users. On July 05, 2025, NCMEC received another CyberTip from Kik that a file of suspected child pornography was uploaded on June 28, 2025 by someone with the username, hardinny4_mf7” and had also been shared with other Kik users. Subsequent investigation traced the uploaded files to Peterson. On December 3, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant on Peterson’s person, seizing his cell phone. A forensic analysis identified approximately nine image files and five video files of suspected child sexual abuse material. Some of the images included infants, toddlers, and prepubescent children.
Peterson is a level 1 sex offender following a 2010 misdemeanor conviction in Carroll Town Court for Attempted Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child Less than 16 Year of Age. He was subsequently convicted in 2023 in Chautauqua County Court of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child Less than 16 Years of Age and Criminal Possession of a Firearm.
Peterson made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was held pending a detention hearing on April 2, 2026.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
ALBION MAN GOING TO PRISON FOR RECEIPT OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Norman Kelly, 69, of Albion, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the case, stated that on October 20, 2023, Kelly arrived at the Port of Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan, on a flight from Incheon, South Korea. During an inspection of his baggage, Kelly removed a cellular phone from his pocket, and had a computer bag, which contained a laptop computer, and four USB thumb drives. Due to a lack of eye contact during questioning, inconsistencies in his travel story, and nervous behavior, the devices were authorized to be examined. A Customs and Border Protection officer examined the cell phone, laptop and one of the thumb drives and discovered what appeared to be suspected child pornography. Subsequent investigation determined that between March 12 and September 20, 2023, Kelly used his laptop computer to entice minors to engage in sexually explicit behavior for the purpose of producing images, which he would receive via the internet. On March 12, 2023, Kelly received a sexually explicit image of a female child, approximately 10-12 years old. On July 20, 2023, he received a sexually explicit video file of an infant female, approximately 1.5 to three years old. Kelly possessed approximately 475 image files and 377 video files of child sexual abuse material. Some of the images included depictions of violence against children.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan. Additional assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations in Detroit, Michigan.
FLORIDA MAN WHO TRAVELED FROM FLORIDA TO WESTERN NEW YORK TO HAVE SEX WITH A MINOR GOING TO PRISON
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jose Francisco Cardoso Tehovnik, 23, of Orlando, Florida, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 132 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who handled the case, stated that in February 2024, Cardoso Tehovnik, who was 21 years old at the time, began communicating with a 16-year-old minor victim on social media. Between February 2024 and April 2024, the minor victim sent a video file and two image files depicting the minor victim to Cardoso Tehovnik, each of which constituted child pornography.
In late April 2024, Cardoso Tehovnik flew from Florida to the Western District of New York and rented a hotel room to meet the minor victim in person. On April 27, 2024, the minor victim met Cardoso Tehovnik in the hotel room and the two engaged in sexual intercourse. Between April 2024 and June 2024, Cardoso Tehovnik continued to communicate with the 16-year-old victim on social media. On June 4, 2024, Cardoso Tehovnik again traveled to the Western District of New York to meet the minor victim. Cardoso Tehovnik picked up the minor victim from her school and left the district with the minor victim, intending to take her to Florida. Law enforcement located Cardoso Tehovnik with the victim in New Jersey and Cardoso Tehovnik was arrested and taken into custody.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Nicholas Ligammari, with assistance from the Beach Haven, NJ, Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Markoski.
