Harlingen man sent to prison for 168 months for possessing sexually explicit images and videos of children

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A 57-year-old man has been sentenced for possession of child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Todd Edward Ellison pleaded guilty Dec. 17, 2024.

U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. has now ordered Ellison to serve 168 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. At the hearing, the court heard that Ellison was previously convicted of child exploitative offenses on two separate occasions. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution to the victims will be determined at a later date.

In May 2020, authorities suspected Ellison was using social media to impersonate and harass a female victim and obtained a search warrant for his residence. At that time, they located and seized numerous digital media devices. The evidence showed Ellison had knowingly possessed child sexual abuse material across multiple digital devices. Forensic analysis revealed he possessed over 1,500 images and 21 videos of child pornography.

Ellison will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations - Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitations Investigations Task Force conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ana C. Cano and Jose A. Esquivel 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.