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A 25-Year-Old’s Descent into Child Pornography
- Key Facts

A 25-Year-Old’s Descent into Child Pornography

In a disturbing display of exploitation, Heriberto Pena-Salazar, a 25-year-old from Bradenton, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for producing child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich handed down the sentence, which also includes a 15-year term of supervised release and a requirement for Pena-Salazar to register as a sex offender.

The charges stem from May 2012, when Pena-Salazar persuaded a pre-pubescent female to engage in sexually explicit conduct. A video recovered from his cellular phone showed him performing sexual acts on the victim.

During an interview, Pena-Salazar admitted to abusing the child, stating that he did so to trade the video for child pornography from others.

A forensic review of his computer and hard drive revealed 600 videos and 400 images of child pornography, including files depicting pre-pubescent children and sadomasochistic conduct.

Pena-Salazar, a Mexican national, was also found to be illegally present in the United States.

“The exploitation of children is one of the most heinous crimes we investigate,” said Susan McCormick, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Tampa. “This case was especially egregious, and as a result, this man will serve nearly 30 years in prison.”

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bradenton Police.

It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer L. Peresie and Amanda C. Kaiser as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.