Chautauqua County man charged after video of naked minor allegedly found on thumb drive

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Chautauqua County man was charged with possession of child pornography by a federal grand jury after videos and images of a naked minor were allegedly discovered on devices in his residence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Jose Perez, 40, of Celeron, was also charged with attempted production of child pornography.

A search warrant was executed on Perez’s residence on Dec. 15, 2022 after a tip was received about possible child pornography two months earlier. Computers, a phone, and a thumb drive were seized, the thumb drive allegedly containing video of a naked minor who seems to be unaware of the camera.

Officials said a videocam appeared to be setup in Perez’s bathroom. Nearly 18,000 images were seemingly taken from the same camera, including naked images of the minor victim.

Perez faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 80. He also faces a $250,000 fine if convicted.

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Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University.

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