A former deputy with the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office has pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges. Stuart J. McHenry, 35, of Hornellsville, New York, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, McHenry knowingly possessed digital images of child pornography, including material depicting minors under the age of 12. The investigation began after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from Kik, an instant messaging application. The tip indicated that user “acman990” had uploaded about 24 files suspected to be child pornography; investigators determined that approximately 22 of those files met the criteria for child pornography.
Authorities traced the account to McHenry and found messages in which he sought, received, and distributed illegal content with other users. Some files contained violent conduct and one image involved the sexual exploitation of an infant. At the time these offenses occurred, McHenry was employed as a deputy sheriff.
The case was investigated by the New York State Police, led by Major Kevin Sucher; the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm; and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff Jim Allard.
Sentencing is set for January 6, 2026 at 10 a.m., before Judge Siragusa.
