Pittsford Man Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography Charges

ROCHESTER, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Jeffrey Bernecki, 29, of Pittsford, NY, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography depicting prepubescent minors before United States Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in 2012 Bernecki was convicted for possessing and distributing child pornography in the Western District of New York.  As a result of that conviction, Bernecki served a five year prison sentence.  He was released in 2016 and began a 15-year period of supervised release which was administered by the United States Probation Department, Rochester Office.  As part of his release conditions, Bernecki was subject to a search condition, which provided Probation Officers authority to inspect Bernecki’s home and digital devices.  On December 8, 2017, during a routine inspection, Probation Officers found that Bernecki was in possession of an unauthorized smartphone.  Probation Officers seized the phone and subsequently discovered the presence of child pornography.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Rochester Office, assisted in forensically examining the phone, which resulted in the discovery of approximately 200 images and 25 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the United States Probation Department under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Anthony SanGiacomo, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Buffalo Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin P. Lyons.