A Jamestown man who is a convicted sex offender has been arrested for possessing and distributing child sexual abuse materials.
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced that 42-year old John Peterson has been charged by criminal complaint with distribution and possession of child pornography by a person with a prior child pornography conviction. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Attorneys handling the case stated that in June 2025, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a tip from the messaging app Kik that files of suspected child sexual abuse materials were uploaded and shared with other Kik users. An investigation traced the uploaded files to Peterson. On December 3, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant on Peterson, seizing his cell phone. Attorneys say a forensic analysis identified approximately nine image files and five video files of suspected child sexual abuse material. Some of the images included infants, toddlers, and prepubescent children.
Peterson is a level 1 sex offender following a 2010 misdemeanor conviction in Carroll Town Court for Attempted Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child Less than 16 Year of Age. He was convicted in 2023 in Chautauqua County Court of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child Less than 16 Years of Age and Criminal Possession of a Firearm.
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