NEW YORK — Former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, whose penchant for sexting strangers online ended his political career and led to an investigation that upended the presidential race, pleaded guilty Friday to criminal charges in connection with his online communications with a 15-year-old girl.
Weiner pleaded guilty to a charge of transmitting sexual material to a minor and could get years in prison. He agreed not to appeal any sentence between 21 and 27 months in prison. He was already in federal custody ahead of the court hearing.
The judge told him he would have to register as a sex offender.
The FBI began investigating Weiner in September after the 15-year-old North Carolina girl told a tabloid news site, the Daily Mail, that she and the disgraced former politician had exchanged lewd messages for several months.
She also accused him of asking her to undress on camera.
The investigation led FBI agents to seize his laptop computer, which led to the discovery of a new cache of emails that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton had sent to Huma Abedin, Weiner’s wife.