A former Newport News firefighter was sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing an infant and distributing videos of the abuse, federal prosecutors announced. Alex Tyler Buenaga, 33, of Suffolk, recorded himself abusing a three-month-old child more than 90 times beginning in October 2024, then shared the material with others online, according to court records.
The Justice Department said Buenaga was sentenced to life in prison, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Ryan Wade Johnston, 46, of Virginia Beach, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material, the same office reported.
Buenaga pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this year to sexually abusing the infant and distributing photos and videos of the abuse to others through Reddit and Telegram, according to The Virginian-Pilot. The outlet reported that he began abusing the infant in October 2024 and recorded the abuse over 90 times. His guilty plea covered production of child pornography and coercion of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, charges that carried a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison, plus up to 60 additional years, the paper noted.
Federal Tip Through Telegram Led to Arrest
Federal investigators arrested Buenaga in January 2025 after the FBI received a tip from Telegram, The Virginian-Pilot reported. WAVY.com reported that Johnston was also arrested. Buenaga had worked as a firefighter and medic with the Newport News Fire Department since 2017 and was fired within two weeks of his arrest, per The Virginian-Pilot.
According to Daily Voice, Buenaga began sexually assaulting the three-month-old in October 2024, filming the abuse before distributing the material over the internet. The outlet also reported that Buenaga recorded himself blowing methamphetamine smoke in the infant's face on one occasion, and that he invited others, including Johnston, to his home to participate in the abuse and smoke methamphetamine.
As reported by WAVY.com, FBI Violent Crimes Task Force agents responded to an emergency tip about a Telegram user producing and distributing child sexual abuse material and located Buenaga at his residence, ultimately arresting him and Johnston before they could inflict additional abuse on the infant. WAVY.com reported the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Kosky.
Part of a Broader Federal Effort
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat child sexual exploitation, launched in May 2006, according to the Department of Justice.
