Astro Rey De Leon, Possession, Distribution of Child Pornography, Texas 2021

A South Texas man has been sent to prison for possessing and distributing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery in a statement.

Astro Rey De Leon, 33, pleaded guilty to the crime on December 17, 2021. Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced him to 210 months in federal prison.

De Leon was found to have been actively involved in chatting with individuals who were interested in buying child pornography via applications on his cell phone. A search of his phone revealed that he had recently tried to sell child pornography. He admitted that he had bought it himself only two months prior to law enforcement’s arrival at his residence.

The court heard additional information, including chats De Leon had with other individuals regarding the trade and sale of child sexual abuse material. The court also considered descriptions of the videos De Leon possessed, as well as victim impact statements.

De Leon was ordered to pay a total of $15,000 in restitution to five victims. He will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

The investigation was conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations – Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliza Carmen Rodriguez is prosecuting the case, which 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.

De Leon has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons Facility to be determined in the near future.

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