Corpus Christi Firefighter Sentence for Production of Child Pornography

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Justin Ryan Serna, 28, of Corpus Christi, has been ordered to prison for sexual exploitation of a child, otherwise known as production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Serna pleaded guilty in October 2015.

Today, Senior US. District Judge John D. Rainey sentenced Serna to 15 years in federal prison to be immediately followed by 10 years of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender.

At the hearing, the victim's father gave a statement explaining how the crime effected his daughter and family.

Serna came to the attention of authorities after they discovered electronic images on a notebook computer of a juvenile female engaged in a sexual act. After further investigation, law enforcement learned Serna enticed the juvenile female to engage in the sexually explicit conduct with the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the activities. Law enforcement identified the juvenile female who confirmed the activities. Authorities also learned many of the communications Serna had with the juvenile occurred while Serna was employed as a Corpus Christi firefighter.

Serna was arrested on the federal charges in July 2015 and has been in custody since that time where he will remain pending his transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The charges were the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department – Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo R. Martinez, 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."