Gaines County Man Admits Possessing Prepubescent Child Pornography

LUBBOCK, Texas — Jose Fidencio Perez, 40, of Seagraves, Texas, pleaded guilty today, before U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings, to one count of possession of prepubescent child pornography and aiding and abetting.  Judge Cummings ordered a presentence investigation report with a sentencing date to be set after the completion of that report.  Perez, who remains on bond, faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervised release.  Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

According to documents filed in the case, Perez used a file sharing program on his computer to download child pornography.  In the course of searching for depictions of sexually explicit conduct, Perez downloaded and viewed numerous videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”

The investigation is being conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Office of the Attorney General of New Mexico Investigations Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy is in charge of the prosecution.