Laredo Man Convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography

LAREDO, Texas – A 26-year-old resident of Laredo has entered a guilty plea to receiving child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.

The investigation led authorities to discover Jaime Gerardo Gonzalez was making child pornography videos available for sharing over the internet. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence, at which time they seized a computer hard drive which resulted in the discovery of approximately 308 videos of minors engaging in sexual activities.

Gonzalez admitted to receiving and viewing child pornography and that he had done so for several months in 2016. He further admitted he had watched adult pornography regularly but had become bored with it.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo accepted the plea today and has set sentencing for Dec. 6, 2017. At that time, Gonzalez faces a minimum of five and up to 20 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of the Webb County Sheriff’s Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Bukiewicz 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."