Ex-State Officer Convicted Of Exploiting An Infant & A Teenage Girl Faces Decades Behind Bars & Lifetime Supervision
Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 6:45 P.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
BUFFALO, NY.- On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, a former New York State correctional officer was sentenced to three decades in federal prison after being convicted of producing child pornography involving multiple victims, including an infant and a teenage girl, federal prosecutors announced.
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo confirmed that Michael Regan, 43, of Amherst, New York, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison, to be followed by lifetime supervised release, and was ordered to register as a sex offender. The sentence was imposed by John L. Sinatra Jr.
Regan was convicted on two counts of Production of Child Pornography, among the most serious federal offenses involving the sexual exploitation of minors. At the time of the crimes, Regan was employed as a New York State correctional officer, a position he held from 2007 until his arrest in 2020 by federal authorities.
According to court documents and statements made by prosecutors, Regan’s criminal conduct occurred in August 2020 and involved multiple victims. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who prosecuted the case, stated that Regan used his cellular phone to take multiple sexually explicit photographs of Minor Victim 1, an infant.
During that same month, Regan communicated with Minor Victim 2, a 13-year-old girl, through the social media messaging application TextNow. Prosecutors said Regan solicited, enticed, and directed the minor to produce sexually explicit images for him.
Authorities further disclosed that Regan later met the 13-year-old in person and engaged in sexual contact. Following the encounter, Regan instructed the victim not to tell anyone and threatened that he would come to her house if she disclosed the abuse. Prosecutors stated that Minor Victim 2 felt threatened by Regan’s statement, which was later cited as evidence of coercion and intimidation.
Federal officials emphasized that the severity of the sentence reflects both the gravity of the offenses and the abuse of trust associated with Regan’s former position as a correctional officer.
The sentencing concludes a joint investigation conducted by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Craig Macy, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, led by Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
Federal prosecutors reiterated that crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children carry some of the harshest penalties under federal law, and officials encouraged the public to report suspected abuse to law enforcement immediately.
Editor’s Note:
This report was written by Art Fletcher, Executive Editor, and is based on information released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York following the sentencing of Michael Regan in federal court. Englebrook Independent News does not identify minor victims of sexual abuse. All facts, names, charges, and sentencing details have been attributed directly to federal prosecutors and law-enforcement authorities as part of the official court record.
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