Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Serve 40 Years in Federal Prison for Possession and Distribution of Child Pornography

OKLAHOMA CITY – MICHAEL RIOS, 43, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 480 months in federal prison, the statutory maximum, for possession and distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. 

On April 3, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a three-count Indictment against Rios, charging him with sexual exploitation of children and possession and distribution of child pornography. According to public record, an FBI agent accessed an online encrypted messaging service, where they encountered a profile that had shared child pornography between January 8 and 9, 2024. The FBI linked the profile to Rios, and after executing a court authorized federal search warrant, agents discovered a large library of child pornography on Rios’s digital devices, and he was arrested.

At the time of his arrest, Rios was on bond pending trial in Oklahoma County District Court, where he’s charged with manufacturing child porn and possession of obscene material involving the participation of a minor under the age of 18 in case number CF-2022-5095. Rios was accused of recording a minor, without their knowledge, while the minor showered in the bathroom of his home in 2019.   

On June 3, 2024, Rios pleaded guilty to Counts 2 & 3 of the Indictment and admitted he possessed and distributed child pornography.

At the sentencing hearing on November 18, 2024, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones sentenced Rios to serve 40 years in federal prison, followed by supervised release for life. In announcing his sentence, Judge Jones noted the disturbing and demented nature of Rios’ conduct and the danger he presented to the public.

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Reference is made to public filings for additional information.