A Tonawanda man with a prior state sexual-abuse conviction was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography, federal prosecutors said.
U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo also ordered 30-year-old Andrew Yannello to serve 35 years of supervised release, according to U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo's office.
Prosecutors said investigators searched Yannello's residence on Aug. 23, 2024, after discovering that he had uploaded child pornography files to Facebook and distributed images to other users of the platform.
Investigators seized a cellphone, laptop and desktop computer during the search. Prosecutors said all three devices contained child pornography, including images involving prepubescent children, an infant or toddler, and depictions of violence.
The federal conviction followed a 2014 New York state conviction for attempted first-degree sexual abuse. Yannello was initially sentenced to 10 years of probation in that case.
After a probation violation in 2017, he was sentenced to between 1â…“ and three years in state prison, prosecutors said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango prosecuted the federal case. The investigation involved the FBI, Town of Tonawanda Police Department and New York State Police.
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