Alvaro Castillo, Child Exploitation, Colorado 2020

A Colorado man, identified as the mastermind behind a heinous crime, was given a harsh sentence for producing, transporting, and possessing child pornography. Alvaro Castillo, 64, of Englewood, was handed a 60-year prison term for his crimes.

Castillo was convicted by a federal jury on November 18, 2020, of three counts of production of child pornography; one count of attempted production of child pornography; one count of transportation of child pornography; and one count of possession of child pornography.

The investigation revealed that Castillo recorded himself sexually abusing a 13-year-old victim in Guatemala in May 2018. The video evidence identified Castillo as the perpetrator, and additional child pornography was discovered during a search of a recreational vehicle he was driving at the U.S.–Mexico border in October 2019.

“Alvaro Castillo recorded himself committing unspeakable crimes against a defenseless child in a foreign country,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Criminal Division. “The department is committed to identifying and prosecuting transnational offenders like Alvaro Castillo, and today’s sentence will protect children in Guatemala and the United States from such predatory behavior.”

Castillo’s sentence includes a lifetime of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $33,586.89. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“Child victimization is a crime that knows no borders and HSI, as a global investigative agency, is committed to working with its domestic and international partners to stop these criminals from exploiting innocent children anywhere in the world,” said Special Agent in Charge Erik P. Breitzke for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso.

HSI worked with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to bring Castillo to justice. Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Cannizzaro of the Western District of Texas prosecuted the case.

Castillo’s case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/colorado-man-sentenced-sexual-exploitation-children-guatemala