A Mexican national living in the United States illegally was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for distributing and receiving child pornography on Facebook, the Justice Department announced.
Adolfo Raul Vasquez-Santana, 32, of Southaven, Mississippi, was sentenced to 121 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for using Facebook Messenger to send and receive child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered him to pay $14,000 in penalties.
Local police began investigating after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Homeland Security Investigations, a division of ICE, pursued federal charges after determining that Vasquez-Santana was living in the United States illegally.
ICE placed an immigration detainer on Vasquez-Santana, and he is expected to face deportation after completing his prison sentence, according to authorities.
“HSI is committed to protecting children from predators who use technology to exploit them. When we received information about Vasquez-Santana, our agents acted quickly to investigate, arrest, and bring this individual to justice. We remain vigilant against child predators and will continue to pursue these offenders wherever they operate,” Matt Wright, acting Special Agent in Charge for HSI New Orleans, said.
“Our partners at Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) will ensure that once the defendant completes his federal sentence, he is removed from the United States and unable to pose further risk to our communities,” he added.
The case was prosecuted as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that the Justice Department says “marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration” and “achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations.”
Authorities said the case was also pursued under Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative established to fight sexual exploitation of children.
“Child pornography is a plague,” U.S. Attorney Leary said. “Children are victimized not only through the production of obscene material, but through its continual distribution. Somehow, this debauchery has gained a foothold in our society. We need the public’s help. Please, when you see something troubling, let law enforcement know – we will respond.”
