Antonio Rudy Gonzalez, CSAM, Virginia 2024

A Alexandria man has been found guilty of distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while on supervised release. This is not the first time Antonio Rudy Gonzalez, 41, has committed such a heinous crime.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti stated, 'This defendant continued to sexually exploit children online while on court-ordered supervision, following an earlier conviction for similar conduct.'

Galeotti added, 'Thanks to the tireless efforts and enduring dedication of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, this defendant has been held accountable for his continued exploitation of children and now faces a fifteen-year mandatory minimum sentence.'

Alexandria native Gonzalez had previously been convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia of distribution of child pornography in 2013. Following his previous conviction, Gonzalez was on supervised release when he committed the latest offense.

Law enforcement began an investigation into a user who was reported to be distributing CSAM on Kik, a mobile-based messaging platform, in April 2024. Further investigation revealed that the user was Gonzalez, who sent dozens of images of children, including toddler-aged children, engaged in sexually explicit conduct to multiple other Kik users. His chat records revealed that he had written to another Kik user '[m]y two favorite things are rape and kids.'

Gonzalez was convicted on two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography for his 2024 conduct. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 27, 2026. Due to his prior conviction, Gonzalez faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Prosecutors Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Vanessa Strobbe for the Eastern District of Virginia are handling the case. The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Mandatory Facts:

Defendant: Antonio Rudy Gonzalez

Criminal Charges: Distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography

City and State: Alexandria, Virginia

Exact Date: April 2024 (investigation began)

Sentence: 15 years minimum, 40 years maximum

Source: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/virginia-man-found-guilty-repeat-csam-offenses