Previously Convicted Cheektowaga Sex Offender Sentenced to Over 15 Years for Possessing Approx. 1,300 Pictures of Child Pornography

Rucker had downloaded approximately 1,300 such images, some of which depicted prepubescent minors, acts of violence against children, and the sexual abuse of an infant or toddler.

A Cheektowaga man with a prior sex offense conviction has been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison following a child pornography investigation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.

Christopher Rucker, 45, received a sentence of 188 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, after being convicted of possession of child pornography with a prior sex offense. U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. handed down the sentence on Friday.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, the case stemmed from a 2022 investigation by the New York State Police. Authorities executed a search warrant at Rucker’s residence, seizing a laptop and cell phone that were later found to contain images and videos of child pornography. Investigators determined that between October and December 2021, Rucker had downloaded approximately 1,300 such images, some of which depicted prepubescent minors, acts of violence against children, and the sexual abuse of an infant or toddler.

Rucker is a registered Level 2 sex offender due to two prior convictions in 2002—one for second-degree sodomy and another for using an interstate facility to persuade or induce a minor to engage in sexual activity. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cheektowaga Police Department, and the New York State Police.