Corpus Christi, Texas – A 44-year-old Corpus Christi man has been ordered to federal prison for possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Lazaro Eugene Velasquez pleaded guilty January 21. On [sentencing date], U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered Velasquez to serve an 84-month sentence.
At the hearing, the court heard that in addition to possessing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, Velasquez also had a child-sized sex doll which was made of rags and clothed in children’s items. It was also covered in what appeared to be semen.
Evidence revealed Velasquez also had images of a local child. While not originally pornographic, Velasquez had altered them. The new images had cartoon-like captions that made it appear the child was asking Velasquez to perform lewd sexual acts on her.
Velasquez will serve 15 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
In February 2019, law enforcement learned Velasquez had used his father’s computer to upload an image of child pornography to an internet search engine. They then conducted a search of the residence. They ultimately found the sex doll laying on his bed, children’s clothing in his closet and a spiral notebook containing hand-written stories describing the sexual abuse of children. At that time, authorities also seized his electronic devices.
The Corpus Christi Police Department – Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany L. Jensen prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Related Federal Cases
- Jason Lewis Schwamberger, Possession of Child Pornography, Baltimor… · Texas
- John Whittenburg, Child Pornography Collection, ME, 2023 · Texas
- Tommie Joseph Beason, Possession of Child Pornography, Lafayette LA… · Texas
- Jason Ryan Bickham, Child Pornography, Beaumont TX, 2014 · Texas
- Trevion Lechay Ethridge, Producing Child Pornography, Beaumont TX, … · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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