Silver City man sentenced to 24 years in prison for production of child pornography

              ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Ruben Castillo, 50, of Silver City, New Mexico, was sentenced on Feb. 16 in federal court to 24 years in prison for production of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexual conduct. Castillo pleaded guilty on March 24, 2020.

              According to his plea agreement and other court records, Castillo used Instagram to find and contact minor girls. Castillo admitted that on July 21, 2019, he met a victim who he knew was 15 years old and pursuaded her to engage in sexual conduct with him. Castillo further admitted to using his cellphone to photograph the act.

              Upon his release from prison, Castillo will be subject to supervised release for five years.

              Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Silver City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Ry Ellison prosecuted the case.