EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)- An El Paso man was sentenced to 180 months in prison for receipt and distribution of a visual deception involving the sexual exploitation of a minor Thursday, June 8.
Oscar Garcia Jr., 33, distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) via a global instant messaging app in July 2022, according to court documents.
As Garcia was already a registered sex offender due to a prior conviction, he used a phone belonging to his father to download CSAM. An investigation revealed more than 317 images and 33 videos containing CSAM.
Garcia has remained in federal custody since his arrest on Aug. 10, 2022.
“This defendant was a repeat offender who continued to pursue child sexual abuse material despite his previous conviction,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “With this lengthy prison sentence, we ensure he will no longer possess the means to access such material, preventing him from further victimizing so many innocent children as he had the years prior.”
“FBI El Paso’s Child Exploitation & Human Trafficking Task Force, along with our law enforcement partners around the nation remain committed in identifying individuals distributing child pornography on the internet,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey for the FBI El Paso Field Office. “Investigating those who prey on our most vulnerable population remains a top priority for the FBI. This sentence sends a clear message that there are severe consequences for those who exploit children in any way and the FBI will continue to dedicate our resources to identify these individuals and bring them to justice.”
In addition, the FBI investigated the case and the Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Dos Santos prosecuted the case.
