A 42-year-old Mexican citizen with a B1/B2 visa has been dealt a devastating blow in federal court, sentenced to 180 months in prison for attempting to enter the United States with child pornography.
According to a recent announcement by the Department of Justice USAO, Martin Alonso Diaz-Lopez, 42, pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography on July 9, 2024. U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen handed down the prison term, holding Diaz-Lopez accountable for 66,489 images and videos of child sexual abuse material that he was attempting to bring into the country.
The court also ordered Diaz-Lopez to pay $44,148 in restitution to the victims in the images he possessed and brought to the country. Not a U.S. citizen, Diaz-Lopez is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. He will also have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet and will be ordered to register as a sex offender.
The investigation began when authorities identified Diaz-Lopez’s email as one of many internet users in Tijuana, Mexico, sharing child pornography online. Diaz-Lopez had applied for a visa in 2023 and listed the same email address uncovered during the investigation. Law enforcement then put an alert on his name.
On March 22, 2024, Diaz-Lopez arrived at the Lincoln-Juarez Port of Entry in Laredo and applied for admission into the United States. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection because of the alert. At that time, Diaz-Lopez consented to a search of his phones, which revealed approximately 20 images of child sexual abuse material. A forensic examination ultimately uncovered a total of 1,484 child pornography files – 883 videos and 264 pictures.
Diaz-Lopez admitted he began viewing CSAM in 2022 while living and working in Pennsylvania and continued after returning to his home in Mexico. He also acknowledged belonging to group chats on various social media platforms where he and others exchanged CSAM. He further admitted he shared material in those chats to receive more in return.
“The defendant not only chose to break our country’s immigration laws, but also decided to bring in thousands of images of children being sexually abused. Neither defendant, nor his sick proclivities, are welcome in America,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Diaz-Lopez earned each and every day of his 180-month sentence, and an equally severe punishment awaits him if he ever tries to return.”
ICE-HSI conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section lead PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page.
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- Ray Wickliffe Howland Gets 10 Years for Child Sex Bid · Pennsylvania
- Mt. Pleasant Man Gets 5 Years for Receiving Child Porn · Pennsylvania
- York County Man Gets 8 Years for Child Porn Distribution · Pennsylvania
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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