BACLIFF — Wesley Joseph Slanina was sentenced to 186 months in federal prison on July 8, 2026, after pleading guilty to possessing over 7,000 images and thousands of videos of child sexual abuse material. Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck announced the sentencing.

Slanina, 71, pleaded guilty on December 17, 2024. His prison sentence will be followed by 10 years of supervised release, during which he must comply with requirements restricting his access to children and the internet. The court also ordered Slanina to pay $71,000 in restitution to victims and to re-register as a sex offender.

The investigation into Slanina began in June 2019 when law enforcement discovered him sharing files containing child sexual abuse material using peer-to-peer software. Authorities executed a search warrant at Slanina's home in Bacliff on June 10, 2020, seizing several electronic devices. Forensic analysis of his personal computer and a 129-gigabyte storage card revealed 7,172 images and 2,503 videos of child sexual abuse material. The videos and images depicted children, including infants and toddlers, in sexual acts.

Slanina was previously convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material and of using a government-issued laptop to access prohibited material. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility. The FBI conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Leo, Amanda Alum, and Michael Day prosecuted the case.