FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	CONTACT: Lauren Horwood
March 1, 2012	PHONE: (916) 554-2706
www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae	usacae.edcapress@usdoj.gov
Docket #: 1:10-cr-00165 AWI

            FRESNO, Calif. — United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that after a three-day jury trial, Albert Garza, 52, of Delano, was found guilty of separate counts of receipt and distribution, as well as, possession of child pornography.

            According to court records, in March 2010, federal agents identified Garza as making files of child pornography publicly available over the Internet. When Garza’s computers and external storage media were searched, they were found to collectively contain several hundred videos and more than one thousand still images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

            Garza was remanded into custody immediately after the verdicts were read. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii on May 14, 2012.

            This case is the result of an extensive investigation by the Bakersfield U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorneys Brian W. Enos and Jeremy R. Jehangiri are prosecuting the case.

            “Child pornography victimizes children over and over again – starting with the initial assault, and continuing every day for the young victims of this despicable trade,” said Michael Toms, resident agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Bakersfield. “The physical and emotional scars are difficult, if not impossible, for youngsters to outgrow. For this reason, HSI will use every tool at its disposal to track down those who deal in child pornography and see that they are brought to justice.”

            This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and ask to speak with the PSC coordinator.

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