In a separate matter, a Rochester man pleads guilty to crimes against very young children
From the U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo,
FORMER NEW YORK STATE CORRECTIONAL OFFICER GOING TO PRISON FOR 30 YEARS FOR PRODUCTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Michael Regan, 43, of Amherst, NY, who was convicted of two counts of production of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 30 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and was ordered to register as a sex offender by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Regan was a New York State Correctional Officer from 2007 until his arrest by the FBI in 2020.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who handled the case, stated that in August 2020, Regan took multiple sexually explicit photos of Minor Victim 1, an infant, using his cellular telephone. Also in August 2020, during communications over the social media application TextNow, Regan solicited, enticed, and directed a 13-year-old girl to produce sexually explicit images for him. Regan then met Minor Victim 2 to engage in sexual contact. After the sexual contact, Regan instructed Minor Victim 2 not to tell anyone, or he would come to her house. Minor Victim 2 felt threatened by Regan’s statement.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Craig Macy, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
ROCHESTER MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Zachary Guthrie, 32, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that in October 2024, the New York State Police (NYSP) executed a search warrant at Guthrie’s residence after receiving CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that Guthrie uploaded child pornography to Instagram and Discord. During the search, investigators seized his cell phone. A forensic review of the phone recovered more than 200 videos, and more than 320 images of child pornography. Some of the images depicted the sexual exploitation of children as well as violence against children.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
