A former Las Cruces middle school principal has been sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison for his role in the production and distribution of child pornography.
Joel Aguilar Villanueva, 45, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, was sentenced on an unspecified date for transportation of a visual image of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
According to court records, on October 23, 2018, Villanueva, who was the principal of a middle school in Las Cruces, uploaded a video from an electronic device to Twitter. The video depicted a child engaged in a sexual act with an adult, and was posted with the comment “aprenden rapido,” which translates to English as, “they learn fast.”
Villanueva pleaded guilty on November 8, 2019, to the charges against him.
Upon his release from prison, Villanueva will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
The Las Cruces office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police, the Las Cruces Police Department and the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong prosecuted the case 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.
Related Federal Cases
- Johncarlos Ortiz, Child Pornography Receipt, New Mexico 2024 · New Mexico
- Derek M. Schwartzrock, Child Pornography Possession, New Mexico 2024 · New Mexico
- Officer John Doe, Child Pornography, New Mexico 2023 · Texas
- John Doe, Child Pornography Possession, New Mexico 2022 · Arkansas
- John Doe, Child Pornography Conviction, New Mexico 2022 · New Mexico
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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