Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

A Buffalo man has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after investigators uncovered thousands of illegal images and videos, federal prosecutors announced Friday.

Alexander J. Weidner, 35, admitted to the charge in U.S. District Court before Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The offense carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

According to prosecutors, authorities executed a federal search warrant at Weidner’s residence on February 28, 2023, following reports that child pornography had been uploaded to Snapchat and Instagram accounts associated with him. Investigators seized two cellphones containing approximately 4,843 images and 371 videos of child pornography, including material involving minors under the age of 12.

Officials also stated that Weidner used the Session application on two occasions to share a video file containing child pornography with another user.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York State Police, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Weidner is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Vilardo.