Federal prosecutors are considering bringing child-pornography charges against former Democratic congressman Anthony Weiner, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The estranged husband of Clinton insider Huma Abedin, Weiner has been under investigation over an alleged sexting relationship with a 15-year-old girl.
The most serious charge reportedly being considered is for production of child pornography, which carries with it a mandatory minimum 15-year prison sentence if convicted. He could also face charges of receipt of child pornography or possession of child pornography, according to the Journal. The former charge carries with it a five-year minimum prison sentence, while the latter carries no mandatory minimum.
Weiner sent numerous sexually explicit messages to the girl over a series of months, according to text messages and photos obtained by The Daily Mail. “I would bust that tight pussy so hard and so often that you would leak and limp for a week,” Weiner reportedly said in one message. He also sent photos of himself to the girl, including one in which he was shirtless at a pool, and reportedly solicited sexually explicit pictures from the girl.
The investigation into Weiner’s sexting relationship with the girl led to the FBI briefly re-opening its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state. (RELATED: Emails Related To Clinton Server Discovered During Anthony Weiner Sexting Investigation)
Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner (Credit: Sky Cinema/Flickr)
Weiner’s political career has been plagued by a series of sexting scandals, the first of which took place in 2011, eventually leading to then-Congressman Weiner’s resignation.
Weiner ran for New York City mayor in 2013 before the second sexting scandal hit. In that scandal, Weiner was revealed to have used the pseudonym “Carlos Danger” for his sexting exploits.