Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to ChildPorn Possession

ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander Balding, 21, has entered a guilty plea in federal court for possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The Albuquerque native was arrested on May 4, 2016, following an investigation that began with a tip from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.

Balding was charged after FBI investigators downloaded child pornography files from his home computer. A search warrant executed at Balding’s residence yielded more than 100 files of child pornography on a seized computer and external hard drive. The state charges against Balding were later dropped, allowing for federal prosecution.

The defendant was indicted in May 2016 for distributing and possessing child pornography. Today’s guilty plea covers the possession charge, admitting to having child pornography on an external hard drive from April 6 through April 27, 2016. Balding remains in custody awaiting sentencing.

A maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a term of supervised release follow. Upon completion of his prison term, Balding will also be required to register as a sex offender.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation online. It was also brought under the New Mexico ICAC Task Force’s efforts to track and capture Internet child sexual predators in the state.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathon M. Gerson is prosecuting this case. For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

RELATED: Albuquerque Trafficking: Two Minors Exploited

RELATED: Zuni Pueblo Man Gets 18-Month Sentence for Gun Burglary