San Angelo, Texas, Man Pleads Guilty In Federal Court To Child Pornography Offense

LUBBOCK, Texas — Victor Lopez, 47, of San Angelo, Texas, appeared this morning in federal court in Lubbock, Texas, before U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings, and pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. Lopez faces a maximum statutory penalty of not less than five years or more than 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervised release. Judge Cummings ordered a presentence investigation report with a sentencing date to be set after the completion of that report. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

Lopez has been in federal custody since his arrest following the execution of a federal search warrant at his residence by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on January 23, 2013. He was indicted last month on several counts of receiving and possessing child pornography.

According to plea documents filed in the case, Lopez admitted that he used file-sharing software to collect numerous videos of child pornography, including depictions of sadistic and masochistic 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 case is being investigated by ICE HSI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy.