A previously convicted sex offender from southern Erie County has admitted to possessing child pornography. U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced Friday that 28-year-old Bernard Keller of Lake View pleaded guilty to a federal charge of possession of child pornography following a prior conviction under New York State law relating to possession of child pornography. The conviction was the result of an investigation by the FBI, State Police and Hamburg Police.
In August 2022, Keller was convicted of possession of a sexual performance by a child in New York State Court and sentenced to 10 years probation. In May 2025, State Police executed a search warrant at Keller's residence after he distributed child porn to other individuals via the Kik app. During the search, law enforcement seized Keller's cell phone and found that it contained approximately 96 images and 248 videos of child porn, some of which involved a prepubescent minor, the sexual abuse of an infant or toddler, and depictions of violence against children.
Sentencing for Keller will be scheduled for a later date. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
