Rodolfo Martinez Rodriguez Gets 25 Years for Child Porn Crimes

Windermere’s Rodolfo Martinez Rodriguez, 61, is going away for 25 years after admitting to a predatory online campaign of sexual exploitation, distribution of child pornography, and possession of thousands of illicit images. U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron handed down the sentence in Orlando, Florida, ensuring Rodriguez will spend a quarter-century behind bars for crimes that targeted some of the most vulnerable victims imaginable.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty on September 21, 2016, to charges of receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography. As part of his plea agreement, he admitted to posing as a youth between 10 and 17—sometimes as a boy, sometimes as a girl—on Instagram under the alias “michael_modeling.” Through this fabricated identity, he lured underage girls, some as young as 9, into producing and sending sexually explicit photos and videos.

Once he had the material, Rodriguez didn’t hoard it—he distributed the child pornography to other minors, spreading the abuse like a virus. He admitted to carrying out this scheme for at least two years, demonstrating a pattern of calculated manipulation and emotional predation. Shockingly, during his confession, Rodriguez claimed he didn’t believe asking for or receiving child pornography online caused harm to the children involved—a statement that underscores the warped mindset prosecutors say fuels such crimes.

In addition to the 25-year prison term, the court imposed a lifetime of supervised release, meaning Rodriguez will be under federal monitoring for the rest of his life. The sentence reflects the severity of his actions and the lasting danger posed by online predators who exploit anonymity and social media platforms to target children across state and national lines.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation into Rodriguez’s activities, eventually tracing the digital footprints of “michael_modeling” back to his home in Windermere. Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda prosecuted the case, presenting evidence that left no doubt about Rodriguez’s intent and the breadth of his criminal conduct.

This case was brought under the umbrella of Project Safe Childhood, the Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat the explosion of child sexual exploitation. Through coordinated federal, state, and local efforts, the program has helped dismantle networks of abusers and rescue countless victims. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/psc.