Stuart J. McHenry, a deputy with the Steuben County Sheriff's Office, has been arrested and charged with distribution and receipt of child pornography. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo in Rochester, NY. McHenry, 34, from Hornell, NY, faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison if convicted. The maximum penalty could be up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford is handling the case. According to the criminal complaint filed against McHenry, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip on July 5, 2024, from the instant messaging application Kik. This tip indicated that a user named "acman990" had uploaded approximately 24 files suspected to be child pornography. Of these files, about 22 were confirmed as child pornography sent via private message to other users.
The investigation traced the account back to McHenry. During the probe, it was revealed that he was employed as a deputy at the Steuben County Sheriff's Office. Investigators executed a search warrant at his residence in Hornell on October 18, 2024, seizing two cellular phones. A forensic review of one phone showed evidence that Kik had been installed previously under the username acman990.
Further examination of McHenry's iCloud account uncovered sexually explicit conversations and additional child pornography material on Kik beyond what was initially reported in the CyberTip.
McHenry appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen for an initial hearing this afternoon and is being held pending a detention hearing.
The investigation leading to these charges involved multiple agencies: New York State Police led by Major Kevin Sucher; Federal Bureau of Investigation under Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; and Steuben County Sheriff’s Office directed by Sheriff Jim Allard.
It is important to note that while charges have been filed against McHenry, he remains presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
