Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced for Distribution of Child Pornography via Facebook Messenger

ABERDEEN, MS- U.S. Attorney Scott Leary and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced today that a Mexican national, illegally in the United States, was sentenced to 121 months in prison, five years supervised release and $14,000 in restitution for knowingly distributing and receiving visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct through the popular internet application Facebook Messenger. He had previously pled guilty to these charges.

According to court documents, Adolfo Raul Vasquez-Santana, 32, of Southaven, Mississippi, downloaded and shared violent videos that depicted the sexual abuse of children.

Vasquez-Santana was investigated by the Southaven Police Department responding to a tip that the agency received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. HSI determined Vasquez-Santana was illegally present in the United States and pursued federal charges.

Senior U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Vasquez-Santana including requiring him to pay $14,000 to the victims for restitution.

Officials with ICE have placed an immigration detainer on the defendant, to result in his removal from the United States following the conclusion of his federal sentence.

U.S. Attorney Leary stated, "Child pornography is a plague. Children are victimized not only through the production of obscene material, but through its continual distribution. Somehow, this debauchery has gained a foothold in our society. We need the public's help. Please, when you see something troubling, let law enforcement know - we will respond. A heartfelt thanks goes to the Southaven Police Department and HSI investigators. Federal and state law enforcement working together to get these perpetrators off the streets is what the public expects us to do. Well done! Again, the Northern District of Mississippi has the best child exploitation prosecutors in the nation, and Julie Addison is one of them."

"HSI is committed to protecting children from predators who use technology to exploit them. When we received information about Vasquez-Santana, our agents acted quickly to investigate, arrest and bring this individual to justice. We remain vigilant against child predators and will continue to pursue these offenders wherever they operate," said Matt Wright, acting Special Agent in Charge for HSI New Orleans. "Our partners at Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) will ensure that once the defendant completes his federal sentence, he is removed from the United States and unable to pose further risk to our communities."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Addison prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Additionally, 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 Justice.gov/PSC.