“Thankfully, this defendant was unsuccessful in his attempts but let this serve as a reminder of how important it is for adults and minors to be vigilant online.”
From the U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo
EAST AURORA MAN SENTENCED FOR RECEIPT OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Brian O’Brien, 43, of East Aurora, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison and 30 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. O’Brien will also have to register as a sex offender.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who handled the case, stated that between June 2022, and July 19, 2023, O’Brien used Snapchat and WhatsApp to receive, view, and upload visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on his cellular telephone. Between June 2022, and March 2023, O’Brien used WhatsApp to communicate with an individual located in Phoenix, Arizona. During these communications, he discussed sexually abusing minor children, and distributed files containing child pornography to the other individual.
Between December 2022, and May 2023, O’Brien communicated by text message with a person he knew as “J.J.” During these communications, he solicited J.J. to find a minor boy for him to sexually abuse. J.J. provided O’Brien with a phone number for a person purported to be a 15-year-old boy. O’Brien then negotiated with the purported 15-year-old boy to perform sex acts. O’Brien then sent a message to J.J. in which he agreed to pay both the purported 15-year-old boy and J.J. for sexual activity with the purported minor and offered to buy drugs for the purported minor.
In July 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at O’Brien’s residence in East Aurora, during which numerous devices were seized, including two cell phones, a hard drive, and a laptop computer. A search of the devices recovered over 2,000 images and videos of child pornography.
“This case highlights the lengths that predators will go in their attempts to abuse children,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “Thankfully, this defendant was unsuccessful in his attempts but let this serve as a reminder of how important it is for adults and minors to be vigilant online.”
“The FBI has zero tolerance for any adult, like Brian O’Brien, who preys upon the innocence of children. Today’s sentencing reiterates that those who exploit children will be held accountable for their actions,” said Philip Tejera, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto.
