A 65-year-old registered sex offender was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison after admitting to distributing child pornography, some of which he viewed in plain sight at a Corpus Christi drug store. Manuel Diaz, a repeat offender since 1984, pleaded guilty January 31, 2019, and was formally sentenced by U.S. District Judge Neva Gonzales Ramos in a packed South Texas courtroom.
Diaz was caught on July 3, 2017, after employees at a local pharmacy noticed him scrolling through disturbing images at a public photo kiosk. The photos, pulled from his connected phone, included what staff immediately recognized as child sexual abuse material. The images were visible to customers and workers alike before authorities were called. Diaz was arrested on the spot and later confessed to possessing more than 100 illicit images and 65 videos.
Forensic analysis of Diaz’s phone revealed even more disturbing behavior. Investigators recovered messages sent via a popular social media app in which Diaz distributed the child pornography to multiple recipients. Some messages were directed to individuals he believed were underage girls. The evidence sealed his fate, leading to federal charges under the distribution statute, not merely possession.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick announced the outcome, emphasizing that no venue—public or private—is off-limits for predators like Diaz. “This was not hidden. He displayed these images where children could see them,” Patrick said. “That crosses a line, and the sentence reflects the severity of that breach.”
Following his 15-year prison term, Diaz will face 10 years of supervised release with strict conditions, including internet restrictions and mandatory check-ins. He will remain a registered sex offender for life. His defense team called the sentence “essentially a death sentence,” given Diaz’s age and health, but prosecutors stood firm, citing his decades-long pattern of predatory conduct originating from a 1984 conviction for child sexual assault in Harris County.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Corpus Christi Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany L. Jensen and Hugo R. Martinez prosecuted the case under Project Safe Childhood, the DOJ’s nationwide initiative to combat child exploitation. Diaz remains in custody pending transfer to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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