North Tonawanda Man Pleads Guilty To Receipt Of Child Pornography

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Michael Angstenberger, 48, of North Tonawanda, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to receipt of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that Angstenberger created and used a Snapchat account with the username “catybug1234,” to communicate with, and obtain sexually explicit images from, minor girls. When doing so, he posed as a minor girl. Angstenberger communicated with minor victims in other states and countries. For example, Angstenberger communicated with a victim located in Kentucky (Victim 1), who was 12 years old. On December 5, 2021, Angstenberger asked Victim 1 to send him sexually explicit photos, which she did. Angstenberger communicated with a second victim located in Arkansas (Victim 2), who was approximately 11-12 years old. Victim 2 also sent sexually explicit photos as Angstenberger’s request.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 1, 2023, before Judge Arcara.

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