Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

John Bevel, 42, of Las Cruces, N.M., is headed for a long stretch behind bars after pleading guilty today to federal child pornography charges that carry a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. Under a binding plea agreement, prosecutors are limited to seeking a maximum sentence of 45 years. Bevel will also face a lifetime of scrutiny, required to register as a sex offender and serve a yet-to-be-determined term of supervised release after incarceration.

Arrested in October 2017 by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Las Cruces Police Department (LCPD), Bevel was initially charged following a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators allege his online accounts and smartphone contained hundreds of illicit images of children. The probe zeroed in fast—within days, authorities had evidence of trading, storing, and distributing child pornography across digital platforms.

During today’s federal court hearing in Albuquerque, Bevel admitted guilt on four felony counts: advertising visual depictions of minors in sexually explicit conduct, distributing child pornography, receiving child pornography, and possessing it. He confessed to using a messenger app on his smartphone on October 17 and 18, 2017, to negotiate trades of child sexual abuse material with another user. The digital paper trail was damning—files linked directly to his devices and online storage.

Bevel admitted to storing child pornography in an online account accessible from both his smartphone and laptop as early as September 24, 2017. Just one day later, on September 25, he distributed multiple videos of child sexual abuse through the same messaging platform. Federal prosecutors say the breadth and intent behind his actions show systematic exploitation, not a one-time lapse.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander B. Shapiro as part of Project Safe Childhood, the DOJ’s nationwide push to dismantle networks of child sexual abuse. Launched in 2006, the initiative combines federal, state, and local law enforcement to target predators who use the internet to exploit minors. HSI and LCPD led the investigation from the Las Cruces field office, working in tandem with the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

Bevel remains in federal custody with no release pending. His sentencing hearing has not been scheduled. The New Mexico ICAC Task Force, made up of 86 law enforcement agencies and funded through the state Attorney General’s Office, continues to pursue similar cases across the state. Anyone with information on child predators is urged to contact the Children’s Advocacy Center at (575) 526-3437 or local authorities immediately.

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