A federal grand jury in Fresno, California, has returned a four-count indictment against 26-year-old Bakersfield resident Roman Rodriguez, charging him with receipt and distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, between February 18, 2024, and February 22, 2024, Rodriguez used an iPhone to receive and distribute at least one visual depiction of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Rodriguez used several other devices to receive visual depictions of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct during multiple other timeframes that began as early as October 2022.
U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced the indictment, which is the result of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Rodriguez faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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