Corpus Man Convicted of Downloading Child Pornography

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 46-year-old Corpus Christi resident has admitted he possessed child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Joe Perez admitted he downloaded sexually explicit content involving prepubescent minors

In February 2016, an undercover FBI agent from the Dallas Child Exploitation Task Force was conducting an online investigation into file sharing program looking for potential offenders sharing child pornography. The agent was eventually able to download multiple files of potential child pornography from a device later associated with Perez in Corpus Christi.

A search warrant was executed at his residence, at which time authorities advised Perez he had downloaded a video approximately two hours in length. One of the screenshots of the video was entitled “PEDOPHILIA Volume 1.” He admitted he was familiar with the video and that he believed that he had recently downloaded it, claiming he had accidentally downloaded the images of child pornography as well.

Law enforcement also seized various electronic devices during the search and a forensic analysis on those devices revealed that the his smartphone contained 15 images and nine videos of child pornography. The titles of some of those images and videos clearly indicate sexually-explicit content. One of the videos depicts a prepubescent minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. 

U.S. District Court Judge John D. Rainey accepted the guilty plea today and set sentencing for Aug. 21, 2018. At that time, Perez faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Upon completion of any prison term imposed, Perez also faces a maximum of life on supervised release during which time the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect children and prohibit the use of the internet. 

The FBI Task Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department—Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elsa Salinas is prosecuting the case which 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."