José Antonio Maestre-Rivera, Child Exploitation, Puerto Rico 2025

Two men were arrested in Puerto Rico on Thursday, December 4, 2025, for child exploitation charges. José Antonio Maestre-Rivera, a 27-year-old man from Carolina, PR, was taken into custody by the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Taskforce (PRCACTF) led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

According to court documents, Maestre-Rivera used electronic devices and internet social media applications to persuade and entice a 14-year-old female minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct from April through October 2025. During the same period, the defendant produced, received, and transmitted child exploitation material. He also knowingly transported the minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity.

Maestre-Rivera was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 3, 2025, with five counts of sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement of a minor, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, receipt of child exploitation material, and transfer of obscene material to a minor. If convicted, the defendant faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of up to life in prison.

In a separate case, Gilberto Fontanez Alvarado, a 67-year-old man from Bayamón, was arrested on December 4, 2025, by HSI agents. Fontanez Alvarado was indicted with two counts of transportation of child exploitation material and possession of child exploitation material. According to the indictment, the defendant knowingly used electronic devices for the possession and access with intent to view images of child exploitation material, including of a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age, from August 2012 through November 2025.

Fontanez Alvarado faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted. AUSA Emelina M. Agrait-Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting both cases.

“We are committed to bringing child predators, including those charged in these cases, to justice and protecting our children,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I would like to thank the federal agents, prosecutors and our state and local partners who are relentless in their efforts to identify and prosecute those who seek to exploit children.”

HSI San Juan Acting Special Agent in Charge Yariel Ramos stated, “These charges highlight a deeply troubling and escalating threat in child exploitation cases: predators who collect and trade images of child sexual abuse material are aggressively using social media platforms to target and groom minors.”

“In one case, the suspect deliberately initiated contact with a minor through public social media profiles, then swiftly shifted to private direct messages to facilitate their criminal acts. In the other case, our investigation uncovered disturbing evidence of a collection of illicit images demonstrating the long-term and calculated nature of this predatory behavior. These cases serve as a stark warning of the relentless danger posed by online predators. HSI remains unwavering in our commitment to identifying, arresting, and prosecuting these offenders. We urge parents, guardians, and communities to remain alert and proactive in protecting children. HSI will continue to work with our federal and local partners to ensure these criminals are brought to justice.”

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit iGuardians and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.

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