Anthony Weiner will plead guilty to a single charge of transferring obscene material to a minor after getting caught sexting with a 15-year-old girl, according to the New York Times.
Weiner, the former Democratic congressman who is married to top Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, saw his political career derail because of a series of bizarre sexting scandals. He is expected to appear in a federal courtroom in Manhattan on Friday to enter the guilty plea.
A source told the Times that Weiner turned himself into the FBI on Friday. A judge will decide Weiner’s fate, but the charge carries a wide range of possibilities. He could potentially avoid prison, but could also be sentenced to 10 years behind bars.
Weiner will likely end up as a registered sex offender, according to the Times.
“From at least in or about January 2016, up to and including at least in or about March 2016, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, Anthony Weiner, the defendant, using facilities and means of interstate and foreign commerce, did knowingly transfer obscene matter to another individual who had not attained the age of 16 years, knowing that such other individual had not attained the age of 16 years, and did attempt to do so, to wit, Weiner used internet messaging and video applications to send and transfer obscene matter, including but not limited to (i) directions to engage in sexual conduct and (ii) sexually explicit images, to a minor whom Weiner knew to be 15 years old,” court papers filed Friday and obtained by TheWrap read.
The sexting investigation resulted in the FBI reopening the infamous case surrounding Clinton’s use of a private email server after authorities found potentially classified emails on a laptop Weiner shared with Abedin. Many Clinton supporters have blamed former FBI Director James Comey reopening the investigation for the Democratic candidate’s loss to Donald Trump.
Weiner famously quit Congress in 2011 when he was caught sending other women sexually explicit messages. He was also investigated by child welfare services after he was caught sending sexually-charged selfies with his young son lying next to him last summer.
Back in 2013, an attempt to become New York City’s mayor was derailed when news broke that his web alias, Carlos Danger, carried out a lengthy online affair with another woman.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.