Suburban Houston resident sent to prison for receiving child sexual abuse material

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 36-year-old Pasadena man has been ordered to federal prison after exchanging child pornography over the internet, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.

Pedro Lopez pleaded guilty May 6, 2025.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Lopez to serve 87 months in federal prison. He was further ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution and will serve 10 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Lopez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

The investigation into Lopez began Aug. 9, 2024, after authorities discovered he had been uploading child sexual abuse material over the internet. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on his home where they located his cell phone. A forensic examination revealed conversations Lopez had with others involving CSAM.

Lopez also sent and received child pornography to others online through various communication applications.

He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of Nueces County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ's PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.