United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner
Eastern District of California
Chico Man Sentenced To 100 Months In Prison For Child Pornography Charges
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Tuesday, May 8, 2012 |
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Docket #: 2:08-cr-343-JAM |
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Joshua Vazquez, 30, of Chico, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John A. Mendez to eight years and four months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for possessing and receiving child pornography. Vazquez pleaded guilty on July 19, 2011.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Prince prosecuted the case.
According to court documents, in March 2006, agents from the San Antonio Cyber Crimes Unit of ICE-HSI identified an Internet user making child pornography available to other users via a peer-to-peer file-sharing network. While using the network, an undercover agent downloaded 24 images of child pornography from this user. After further investigation, it was determined that the user was Vazquez.
On August 16, 2007, HSI agents went to Mr. Vazquez’s home in Chico, knocked on the door, and requested to speak with Vazquez. A Fujitsu hard drive and Western digital hard drive were found in Vazquez’s bedroom. They contained approximately 302 still images and 48 videos of child pornography.
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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