In Del Rio yesterday afternoon, 35-year-old Juan Ramon Gutierrez of Uvalde, TX, was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr.,and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, San Antonio Division.
In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Alia Moses ordered that Gutierrez pay a $2,000 fine and be placed on supervised release for a period of ten years after completing his prison term.
On March 31, 2016, Gutierrez pleaded guilty to the federal charge. By pleading guilty, Gutierrez admitted that he was in possession of child pornography which he downloaded using the internet. These images showed minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and also portrayed sadistic sexual conduct towards minors.
On June 27, 2014, HSI agents obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s cellular phone. Approximately two weeks later, authorities seized the defendant’s laptop computer. Subsequent examinations of the seized laptop and cell phone revealed the presence of 228 images and a video clip depicting child pornography.
This investigation was conducted by HSI together with the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Goran Krnaich and Matthew H. Watters prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.
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 the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.