Guatemalan National Indicted for Alleged Possession of Child Pornography

EL PASO, Texas – A Guatemalan national was indicted in a federal court in El Paso with two counts related to child sexual abuse material.

According to court documents, Jesus Menjibar Salinas, 20, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents east of Sierra Blanca on Oct. 3. An affidavit filed in a criminal complaint alleges that Salinas possessed a cell phone with photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse material stored within the device and in a messaging application.

Salinas is charged with one count of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a penalty of five to 20 years in prison for the transportation charge and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the possession charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

HSI and USBP are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Osterberg is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood 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 Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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