Press Release
Visalia Man Indicted For Sexual Exploitation Of A Minor
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today charging Steven Christopher Montes, 25, of Visalia, with three counts of sexual exploitation of minors, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
This case is the product of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Brian W. Enos is prosecuting the case.
According to court documents, from November 2013 through August 2014 and while serving as a band teacher at Riverdale High School, Montes knowingly and surreptitiously took sexually explicit videos of minors on campus.
If convicted, Montes faces a possible sentence of 15 to 30 years in prison for each count charged. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory sentencing factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Updated April 8, 2015
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