San Juan Man Convicted of Downloading Sadistic Child Pornography Videos

McALLEN, Texas – A 29-year-old resident of San Juan has entered a guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson

Ruben James Rios came to the attention of law enforcement following an investigation which began Feb. 8, 2015, into persons using the Internet to traffic in child pornography. A special agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was able to locate and identify a computer as offering to participate in the receipt of child pornography movies through the peer-to-peer network on the Internet. Through the investigation, it was determined that the computer was located in a residence in San Juan.

On May 27, 2015, authorities executed a search warrant at that residence during which time they seized a laptop computer and various external storage media devices. A forensic examination on the devices revealed a total of 147 child pornography movies involving clearly young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. These movies included children under the age of 12 engaged in sadistic conduct and acts of violence. Some of the movies are of known victims as identified through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Rios admitted he downloaded child pornography from the Internet thereby receiving the child pornography found on his computer and external storage media devices.

U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez, who accepted the guilty plea today, has set sentencing for Nov. 19, 2015. At that time, Rios faces a minimum of five and up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.

The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by HSI.

This case, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alex Benavides and Kimberly Ann Leo, was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."