SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Lionel Albino Galindo, 53, of Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, will spend the next three decades behind bars after being sentenced to 360 months in prison – 30 years – for a horrifying campaign of child exploitation. U.S. District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordan handed down the sentence today, followed by a mandatory five years of supervised release. The conviction comes after a five-day jury trial that laid bare the depravity of Albino Galindo’s actions.
Albino Galindo was indicted on April 19, 2024, and found guilty on six separate counts on March 11, 2025. The charges included coercion and enticement of a minor, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, sexual exploitation of children, receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and the transfer of obscene material to a minor. The evidence painted a chilling picture of calculated abuse.
Prosecutors presented evidence demonstrating that Albino Galindo systematically sexually exploited a 13-year-old female minor between February and March 19, 2024. The government proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Albino Galindo knowingly transported the victim on multiple occasions to facilitate sexual activity and actively produced visual depictions of the abuse. Further damning evidence revealed Albino Galindo not only received child pornography *from* the minor, but also sent obscene material *to* her – a sickening escalation of manipulation.
The investigation revealed Albino Galindo leveraged modern technology to commit his crimes. A cellular phone and internet instant messaging services were key tools in his efforts to persuade, induce, entice, and ultimately coerce the young victim into engaging in sexual activity and producing exploitative images. This case underscores the dark side of digital connectivity and the predators who exploit it.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico and Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office, jointly announced the sentencing. The FBI led the investigation, receiving crucial support from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenifer Y. Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, and Emelina Agrait Barreto skillfully prosecuted the case, bringing a measure of justice to a horrific situation.
This case was pursued under the umbrella of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice dedicated to combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals resources at the federal, state, and local levels to identify, apprehend, and prosecute offenders, and to rescue victims. Information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc. This sentence sends a clear message: those who prey on children will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
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Key Facts
- State: Puerto Rico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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