ILLEGAL ALIEN SENTENCED TO 180 MONTHS FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ILLEGAL REENTRY

ABERDEEN, MS - Miguel Angel Sierra-Torreblanca, a Mexican national unlawfully in the United States, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison by United States District Court Judge Sharion Aycock for possession of child pornography and 24 months for his illegal reentry to the United States after having been previously deported.

According to court documents, Sierra-Torreblanca, 40, was arrested following a multistate investigation involving the Sheriff Departments of Charleston County, South Carolina and Lowndes County, Mississippi. Sierra-Torreblanca, who had been living in Lowndes County, Mississippi was arrested and found to be in the possession of two cell phones containing images and videos of children being sexually abused. The hundreds of images and videos depicted the graphic sexual abuse of children, some of whom were infants and toddlers. Following his arrest, the defendant admitted to the possession of these images and to being part of a transnational group which traded and shared these graphic images.

Sierra-Torreblanca was also sentenced for his illegal reentry into the United States. The defendant had previously been convicted in federal court for his illegal reentry and had been previously deported from the United States on three prior occasions.

The defendant will be required to register as a sex offender and was sentenced to seven years of supervised release. Judge Aycock ordered that upon release from federal prison the defendant is to be surrenderer to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings. Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement have placed an immigration detainer on the defendant, which will result in his removal from the United States following the conclusion of his federal prison sentence.

"This conviction and sentence makes it clear that there is no tolerance for anyone exploiting children in our community, especially when the defendant is someone who should never have been present in this country in the first place," said Clay Joyner, U.S. Attorney. "The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of Mississippi is committed to fully prosecuting those who are here unlawfully, especially if they harm innocent children and possess images of child sexual abuse."

"The exploitation of children is one of the most horrific crimes we encounter, and we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure those who prey on children are held accountable," said Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins. "This case highlights the importance of agencies working together across state lines to investigate and prosecute these offenders, and we are committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities."

"There is no higher priority than protecting our children. Anyone who preys on the most vulnerable members of our community will be found, arrested, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said Charleston County Sheriff Carl Ritchie. "We are committed to getting these predators off our streets and ensuring our neighborhoods remain safe for every child to grow, learn, and thrive. We are grateful for the interagency partnerships with Mississippi authorities who made this arrest."

"When someone targets a child, they're not just breaking the law, they're breaking the trust of an entire community," said Charleston County Sheriff's Office Detective James Jacko, who worked the case originally as part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force in Charleston County. "We always follow every lead, use every resource, and we don't stop until the people responsible are held accountable. Our kids deserve nothing less."

U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Herzog Jr. and Paul Roberts prosecuted the case. The Lowndes County, Mississippi Sheriff's Department, Charleston County, South Carolina Sheriff's Department and the Department of Homeland Security investigated the case.

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.