Brian Caputo, a 27-year-old man from Arvin, California, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for receipt and distribution of child pornography related to an online sextortion scheme. The sentencing was announced by Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert of the Eastern District of California.
Caputo pleaded guilty to the charges on May 16, 2016, and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill. In addition to the 15-year prison sentence, Caputo was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the El Paso Police Department and the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force.
According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, Caputo received and distributed child pornography between December 2008 and February 2014. He used his cell phone and email to receive at least one image of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and distributed one or more of such images to another minor in order to coerce the minor to produce additional child pornography.
The 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 sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Tierney and former Trial Attorney Maureen C. Cain of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case. The sentencing of Brian Caputo is a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to combat child pornography and sextortion. The use of online platforms to exploit and abuse children is a serious crime that will be vigorously prosecuted by law enforcement agencies.
The FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force and the El Paso Police Department played a crucial role in investigating the case and bringing Caputo to justice. The task force is a vital resource in the fight against child exploitation and abuse, and its work has led to the prosecution of numerous individuals involved in these heinous crimes.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. The website provides information on the initiative, as well as resources for parents, educators, and law enforcement agencies to help prevent child sexual exploitation and abuse. By working together, we can make a difference in the lives of children and hold those who exploit and abuse them accountable for their crimes.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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