Tacoma man pleads guilty to producing images of child sexual abuse

Tacoma – A 37-year-old Tacoma man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to production of child pornography and possession of child pornography announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. William Alexander Crisolo was arrested October 1, 2021, after an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Crisolo admitted today that he made sexually explicit images of two young children. One set of images was traded via the internet application KIK for other images of child sexual abuse. Crisolo faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison when sentenced on July 16. 2023.

According to records filed in the case, Homeland Security Cyber Crimes Center received a tip from a foreign law enforcement agency that Crisolo was claiming, via internet chats, that he was abusing two different minor children and filming the abuse. Law enforcement moved to search Crisolo’s residence and electronic devices. On his custom-built computer, investigators found more than 4,000 child sexual abuse images and 100 child sexual abuse videos. On Crisolo’s phone, law enforcement identified sexually explicit images of the two young child victims.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, both the prosecution and defense will recommend a 16-and-a-half-year sentence. Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.

The plea in federal court also resolves state court charges for child molestation.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Tacoma Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Dillon and Matthew Hampton.

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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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