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A Texas woman, Anika Bywater, 29, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for conspiring to sexually abuse a child in Mexico. Bywater, formerly of Gonzalez, Texas, pleaded guilty to the charges in December 2025. The abuse occurred while Bywater was living in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, where she and another person created videos of themselves abusing a young child. The case came to light when law enforcement discovered the videos circulating on the internet.
The investigation was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The FBI Child Exploitation Operational Unit played a key role in the investigation, with assistance from the FBI’s law enforcement attaché office in Mexico City and Washington Field Office.
Bywater’s sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland, along with Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva and Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI. The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to crack down on child sex abuse and exploitation, both domestically and internationally.
The sentence of 25 years in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, reflects the severity of the crime and the need to protect children from predators like Bywater. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of reporting suspected child abuse and exploitation to the authorities.