A Java Center man pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing child pornography involving a prepubescent minor after police found images and videos on his phone, prosecutors said.
Patrick Kerwin, 43, entered the plea before U.S. District Judge John Sinatra Jr., according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York. The offense carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to the plea agreement, Lancaster police encountered Kerwin at a local restaurant on Nov. 19, 2025. He told officers he had exchanged text messages with underage girls and that his phone contained child sexual abuse material, prosecutors said.
Kerwin consented to the seizure and search of his phone and agreed to an interview at the Lancaster Police Department, according to prosecutors. During the interview, he said he had messaged underage girls through social media and encrypted applications.
A forensic examination recovered 13 images and 81 videos of child sexual abuse material from the phone, prosecutors said. Some depicted abuse of very young children and violence.
The FBI and Lancaster Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve Huggins is prosecuting it.
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 15, 2027, before Sinatra.
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