Cheektowaga Man Pleads Guilty To Possession Of Child Pornography

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that James Neyerlin, 36, of Cheektowaga, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra to possession of child pornography. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, Jr., who is handling the case, stated that on August 2, 2019, a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s home and several electronic devices were seized. A review of the devices recovered approximately 7,284 images of child pornography, including images of prepubescent minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Neyerlin used the peer-to-peer application BitTorrent to acquire and share videos of child pornography.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger; and the Town of Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Sliwinski. 

Sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. before Judge Sinatra.

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