U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced the arrest of Stuart J. McHenry, a 34-year-old resident of Hornell, New York. McHenry faces charges related to the distribution and receipt of child pornography, offenses that carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and could lead to a maximum sentence of 20 years along with a fine up to $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford is handling the case. She detailed that on July 5, 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip from Kik regarding user “acman990,” who had uploaded approximately 24 files suspected to contain child pornography. A review confirmed that around 22 files were indeed child pornography, shared with other users through private messages. Investigations linked this account to McHenry.
Further investigations revealed that McHenry is employed as a deputy with the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office. On October 18, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at his residence in Hornell and seized two cell phones. Forensic analysis confirmed the presence of the Kik application on one phone and identified use under the username acman990. Additionally, sexually explicit conversations and child pornography were found in McHenry’s iCloud account, including videos flagged in the initial CyberTip alongside other illicit materials.
McHenry appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen for an initial hearing and remains detained pending further proceedings.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including the New York State Police under Major Kevin Sucher’s direction, the Federal Bureau of Investigation led by Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office directed by Sheriff Jim Allard.
It is important to note that charges are accusations; McHenry is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.