Chautauqua county man pleads guilty to possession of child pornography

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jose Perez, 41, of Celeron, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that on December 15, 2022, a search warrant was executed at Perez’s residence after he uploaded a child pornography file to Dropbox, an electronic service provider that offers internet-based file storage services. During the search, Perez’s cell phone was seized. A subsequent examination of the phone revealed approximately three images and one video of child pornography. Some of the images depicted prepubescent minors less than 12 years old engaging in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, Perez admits that, on two or more occasions, he engaged in the sexual abuse, exploitation, and attempted sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 22, 2026, before Judge Vilardo.

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