San Antonio Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Child Pornography Charges

In San Antonio today, 40-year-old Gabriel Espinoza of San Antonio, TX, was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)  Special Agent in Charge James Spero, San Antonio Division.

In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Orlando Garcia ordered that Espinoza be placed on supervised release for 40 years after completing his prison term.

On February 3, 2015, Espinoza pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography.  By pleading guilty, Espinoza admitted that on or about May 2011 he coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction.  Espinoza then distributed images of the victim through the internet.

“The heavy sentence imposed on Espinoza sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for those who exploit children in anyway,” stated Special Agent in Charge, James Spero, HSI San Antonio. “Targeting crimes of this nature is a high priority for HSI. We will continue to dedicate HSI resources nationwide to identify and bring to justice these individuals."

This case was investigated by HSI.  Assistant United States Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.