KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man has been found guilty of deliberately seeking out and possessing horrific material exploiting children. Frank Castro, 50, of Kansas City, Kansas, was convicted after a bench trial of one count of receipt of child pornography – a crime that tears at the fabric of decency.
The case, painstakingly built by federal investigators, revealed a disturbing connection forged through the dark corners of social media. In September 2020, Castro engaged in messaging with Antonio Galicia, 50, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Galicia, now known to be a predator, offered Castro a video depicting the sexual abuse of a young child. The exchange wasn’t accidental; Galicia intentionally sent the CSAM file via an application directly to Castro. Court documents clearly show Castro knowingly accepted and viewed the depraved content.
The unraveling of this case wasn’t solely focused on Castro. The Milwaukee Police Department, while investigating Galicia for a string of heinous child sex crimes, stumbled upon evidence of the transmission to the Kansas man. Recognizing the interstate nature of the crime, they immediately alerted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), triggering a full federal investigation. It’s a stark reminder that predators operate across state lines, and law enforcement must collaborate to bring them to justice.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey McCormick and Scott Rask presented the evidence, methodically dismantling Castro’s defense. The judge, after reviewing the facts, found Castro guilty, acknowledging the gravity of the offense. The conviction sends a clear message: knowingly possessing child pornography is not a victimless crime, and those who engage in it will be held accountable.
Castro is scheduled for sentencing on December 16, 2025. He now faces a potential prison sentence of five to twenty years – a punishment that, while severe, barely scratches the surface of the damage inflicted upon the victim(s) depicted in the material. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, taking into account U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant statutory factors.
This case was brought forth as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006. The project aims to aggressively combat the escalating epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse by pooling federal, state, and local resources. For more information on Project Safe Childhood and how to report suspected child exploitation, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. The FBI continues to investigate.
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Key Facts
- State: Kansas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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