LAREDO, Texas – Ricardo Reyna, a 22-year-old man from Laredo, has been sentenced to federal prison for receiving and storing child pornography via social media. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Reyna pleaded guilty on July 7, 2022, to charges of possession and receipt of child pornography. Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced him to 210 months for both offenses, which will run concurrently. The court also considered letters from identified victims that detailed the trauma they suffered as a result of Reyna’s actions.
During his sentencing, the judge emphasized that while Reyna may eventually be released from prison, the victims will have to continue enduring their abuse for the rest of their lives. Reyna was additionally ordered to pay $16,000 in restitution and serve 15 years on supervised release following his prison term. He must adhere to numerous restrictions aimed at preventing him from accessing children or the internet.
Reyna admitted to viewing and sharing child pornography between May 1, 2020, and May 6, 2022. Authorities discovered 51 video files and 16 images of child pornography on his cellphones during the investigation. He also confessed to using Kik for distributing child pornography since 2020.
Reyna will be transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility as soon as possible. The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office collaborated on the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hicks oversaw the sentencing, while former AUSA April Ayers-Perez prosecuted the case. This case was part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a DOJ initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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