Jim Walter Qualls Jr., 28, of Roswell, New Mexico, has pleaded guilty to child exploitation charges in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Qualls was arrested on July 31, 2014, on charges of receipt and distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and enticement of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.
The criminal conduct occurred between October 2013 and February 2014, in Chaves County, New Mexico. According to a criminal complaint, HSI agents from Las Cruces, New Mexico, executed a search warrant on Qualls’ residence after the location was identified as having an internet protocol (IP) associated with uploaded images of child pornography to the internet.
HSI agents confiscated Qualls’ cell phone, which allegedly contained visual depictions of minors engaged in sexual activity.
Qualls was subsequently indicted on October 16, 2014, and charged with four counts of persuading and enticing a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct and transporting those images through the internet.
During today’s proceedings, Qualls pleaded guilty to the indictment. At sentencing, Qualls faces a statutory mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison on each of the four counts in the indictment. If the court determines that Qualls’ criminal history includes a prior conviction for a sexual offense, Qualls faces a statutory mandatory minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 50 years of imprisonment on each count of the indictment.
Qualls remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. Qualls will be required to register as a sex offender after completing his term of imprisonment.
Related Federal Cases
- Michael Ray Sepulveda, Child Exploitation and Child Pornography, New Mexico 2016 · New Mexico
- Joseph Gadman, Child Exploitation, New Mexico 2023 · Arkansas
- Joe Medina, Child Exploitation, New Mexico 2023 · North Carolina
- Joe Medina, Child Exploitation, New Mexico 2024 · Arkansas
- Joseph Gadman, Child Exploitation, New Mexico 2023 · North Carolina
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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