U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo has announced that Alexander J. Weidner, a 35-year-old resident of Buffalo, New York, has pleaded guilty to charges related to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor. The charges carry a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A.C. Penrose, who is overseeing the case, detailed that the investigation began when child pornography was uploaded to Snapchat and Instagram accounts linked to Weidner. On February 28, 2023, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Weidner's home and seized two cell phones containing approximately 4,843 images and 371 videos depicting child pornography. Some of these images involved minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit activities. Additionally, it was found that Weidner had used the Session application on two occasions to share video files containing child pornography with another user.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), led by Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; the New York State Police, directed by Major Amie Feroleto; and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Sentencing for Weidner is set for July 29, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., presided over by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.