A former Steuben County Sheriff’s deputy is headed to federal prison after being convicted on child pornography charges.
Federal prosecutors say 35-year-old Stuart McHenry of Hornellsville has been sentenced to nine years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography involving pre-pubescent minors. McHenry was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa in federal court in Rochester.
Investigators say McHenry knowingly possessed and shared graphic images and videos of child sexual abuse, including material involving children under the age of 12. Authorities say some of the content involved violent acts, and at least one image involved the sexual exploitation of an infant.
The case began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip from the messaging app Kik, reporting that a user account had uploaded about two dozen files suspected to be child pornography. Investigators later confirmed that most of the files were illegal and traced the account back to McHenry.
Law enforcement officials say McHenry also exchanged messages with other users in which he sought out, received, and distributed child pornography.
At the time of the offenses, McHenry was employed as a deputy with the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation involved the New York State Police, the FBI, and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office.
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