Man who traveled from Florida to Western New York to have sex with a minor arrested on multiple child pornography charges

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jose Francisco Cardoso Tehovnik, 21, of Orlando, Florida, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with enticement of a minor, and production, receipt, and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of life.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in February 2024, Tehovnik began communicating with a minor female (victim) in the Western District of New York on the social media application Instagram, before moving the conversation to Snapchat. During these conversations, Tehovnik and the victim exchanged naked images, which included child pornography of the victim, and Tehovnik made plans to travel to the Western District of New York. In April 2024, Tehovnik flew from Florida to New York to engage in sexual activity with the victim, before returning to Florida. On June 4, 2024, Tehovnik came back to the Western District of New York, picked up the victim, and traveled to New Jersey, where law enforcement located him with the victim. Tehovnik was arrested and taken into custody. 

Tehovnik made an initial appearance this morning in the District of New Jersey and will be returned to the Western District of New York at a later date.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Nicholas Ligammari.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.  

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