Enrique Sánchez Hernández, a Río Grande man, was sentenced to 210 months — 17 years and six months — in federal prison for the production of child pornography, in a case that began with a chilling discovery: an abandoned cell phone containing graphic evidence of his crime.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí handed down the sentence, followed by a 30-year term of supervised release, marking one of the most severe penalties in recent child exploitation cases in Puerto Rico. Sánchez Hernández pleaded guilty on November 20, 2019, to a single count of Production of Child Pornography.
According to federal prosecutors, Sánchez Hernández recorded himself sexually abusing an 8-year-old child using his cellular phone. The recording was found in June 2018 when a civilian stumbled upon the abandoned device in Río Grande. The footage was immediately turned over to Puerto Rico Police, who referred the case to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
HSI agents quickly identified Sánchez Hernández from the video and moved swiftly to arrest him. The investigation revealed the disturbing extent of his actions, with digital evidence confirming the recording was made by the defendant and stored on the recovered phone.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico will continue to protect and defend our children from those who seek to prey upon them and steal their innocence,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these crimes, using all available resources to ensure that additional vulnerable victims aren’t abused.”
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Cannon. It falls under Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative targeting the use of digital technology in the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
Related Federal Cases
- CBP Officer Alfredo Maysonet-Galarza Indicted for Child Pornography · Puerto Rico
- William Javier Vega-Valentín, Carlos Borrero-Vélez Arrested in Ponce Child Exploitation Case · Puerto Rico
- Noel Aquino Florenciani Gets 22 Years for Child Porn Crimes · Puerto Rico
- Ricardo Barrios-Calderon, Alfredo Santiago-Rosario Held on Child Porn Charges · Puerto Rico
- Byron H. Montijo-Maysonet Guilty in Child Exploitation Case · Puerto Rico
Key Facts
- State: Puerto Rico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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