WESLACO MAN ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH POSSESSION AND RECEIPT OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

(MCALLEN, Texas) - Raul Casarez, 29, of Weslaco, Texas, was arrested this morning and charged with receipt and possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Tim Johnson announced today.
 
Earlier today, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Casarez at his residence and seized two computers. According to the criminal complaint filed today, a preliminary examination of the computers found at the residence found images of child pornography. Today’s enforcement action was the result of an investigation during which ICE agents identified a computer being used at the residence to offer the distribution of movies with titles suggestive of child pornography through a peer to peer computer network.  

Casarez appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dorina Ramos this morning and is scheduled for a preliminary and detention hearings on Dec. 22, 2009, at 11:00 a.m. The court has ordered Casarrez temporarily held without bond pending the hearings.

A charge of possession of child pornography carries a range of punishment of up to 10 years in prison. Receipt of child pornography carries no less than five and up to 20 years imprisonment as a possible punishment upon conviction. The sentences for each offense can also result in the imposition of a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of not less than five years and a maximum of life.

This case, being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Leo, 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 United States Attorneys’ 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 exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

 

 

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