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Press Release

Pocatello Man Sentenced to 15 years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Idaho

POCATELLO –  Alfredo J. Padilla, 59, of Pocatello, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 180 months in federal prison, followed by a life term of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a minor, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.  U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Padilla to pay $5,100 in special assessments and forfeit the devices used in the commission of the charged offense.  Although Judge Nye ordered Padilla to pay the victim restitution, the amount of restitution is to be determined at a later hearing.  Padilla pleaded guilty to the crime on October 30, 2017.

According to the plea agreement, Padilla coerced a 12-year old girl to take pictures of her exposed breasts, then forced her to pose for pictures of her exposed vagina.  A forensic search of Padilla’s phone revealed 43 images relevant to the case, and images of Padilla were interspersed with images of the young girl.  When interviewed by police, Padilla admitted to taking the pictures.  In court, Padilla admitted to taking pornographic photographs of the child and to using, persuading, or coercing the child to take part in sexually explicit conduct for the purposes of producing the photographs.  Padilla’s criminal conduct was discovered when his victim disclosed abuse to her counselor.

The case was investigated by the Pocatello Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

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

Contact

BARBARA LAYMAN
Public Information Officer
(208) 334-1211
barbara.layman@usdoj.gov

Updated March 12, 2018

Topic
Project Safe Childhood
Component