Anthony Rodriguez, Child Pornography, California 2020

Modesto Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Child Pornography

A 34-year-old Modesto man, Anthony Rodriguez, aka Anthony Rito Lara, has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for producing and distributing child pornography. According to court documents, Rodriguez used a cellphone to create 49 videos and 51 images of a child under 12 years old engaged in sexually explicit conduct between September and October 2020.

Some of these videos were distributed over the internet, including one video in which Rodriguez engages in a sex act with the child. The case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Modesto Police Department, with assistance from the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandre M. Dempsey prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit [www.usdoj.gov/psc](http://www.usdoj.gov/psc). Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

This case highlights the importance of reporting suspected child exploitation to the authorities. If you have any information about child exploitation, please contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or [www.missingkids.org](http://www.missingkids.org).

The exact dates of the crimes were September and October 2020. Rodriguez was sentenced on an unspecified date. The defendant’s criminal charges include sexual exploitation of a minor. He is currently serving a 45-year prison sentence.

Fresno, CA — In a shocking case of child pornography, Anthony Rodriguez was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Rodriguez, 34, of Modesto, used a cellphone to create explicit content involving a child under 12 years old in 2020.

The Modesto Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation, with assistance from the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandre M. Dempsey prosecuted the case.

As part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation, the case was brought to justice. This program aims to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children and identify and rescue victims.

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