Marcus Elliott, 40, of Amherst, New York, was sentenced on July 15 to serve 78 months in prison followed by 30 years of supervised release after being convicted of receipt of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo handed down the sentence following an investigation led by federal and local authorities.
According to U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo, Elliott began communicating with a 12-year-old female on Snapchat in September 2020. During these communications, the minor took a sexually explicit photograph and sent it to Elliott. In June 2025, after the minor disclosed information about their interactions, law enforcement searched Elliott’s cellular phone and recovered the image.
The investigation also found that Elliott admitted engaging in sexual activity with the minor on one occasion and had requested that she produce child pornography at other times. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango.
The sentencing resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis II, the West Seneca Police Department under Chief Brian Cosgrove, and the Amherst Police Department under Chief Scott Chamberlin.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York covers 17 counties in western New York and operates under the United States Department of Justice with main offices located at 138 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo and a branch office at 100 State Street in Rochester; it employs about 120 federal prosecutors and support staff who prosecute federal criminal violations, handle civil litigation on behalf of the United States, collect federal debts, engage with community groups, and conduct training forums to boost public safety and quality of life, according to the official website.