Alexandria Man Admits to Receiving Child Pornography

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Bruno Ivan Gonzales, 39, of Alexandria, has admitted to a sickening crime: receiving child pornography. The plea, entered yesterday, brings a dark chapter in a 2015 investigation to a near close, but doesn’t erase the harm inflicted on the children depicted.

The case began in early 2015 when Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) flagged an Internet Protocol address near Alexandria actively downloading illegal content via peer-to-peer networks. Investigators traced the activity to a residence and executed a federal search warrant. What they found was damning: multiple computer devices containing a trove of depravity.

Forensic analysis of two desktop computers revealed over one hundred videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Adding insult to injury, investigators also discovered data destruction software – a clear attempt to cover up the digital evidence. The devices were confirmed to have been used to actively download this horrific material. When confronted, Gonzales confessed to using the computers to receive the child pornography.

Gonzales waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a criminal information on February 23, 2017. He now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years behind bars, with a maximum penalty of 20 years. The final sentence, however, will be determined by U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris on May 25, 2017, taking into account sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, led by Dana J. Boente, is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice. The project aims to combat the escalating epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating federal, state, and local resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute predators and rescue victims. Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Washington, D.C., highlighted the importance of continued vigilance in these cases.

Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates on Gonzales’ sentencing. Information regarding Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc. Court documents related to Case No. 1:17-cr-26 are available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia website and through PACER.

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