Rafael Almeida Zapata Sentenced to 188 Months for Child Pornography

DALLAS — Rafael Almeida Zapata, a 31-year-old Dallas man, has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for his role in the transportation and shipping of child pornography. The grim revelation came as U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater handed down the sentence on Thursday morning.

According to court documents, Dallas Police executed a search warrant at Zapata’s residence in June 2015. During the raid, officers presented Zapata with still images from a child pornography video downloaded through the ARES peer-to-peer file sharing program. The IP address linked to the download was traced back to Zapata, who confessed to downloading and possessing over 600 images of child pornography.

The images included disturbing content depicting sadistic and masochistic acts involving minors. Zapata’s admission and the evidence collected by law enforcement led to his guilty plea in August 2016.

This case is a part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006. The program aims to combat the rising tide of child sexual exploitation and abuse. It coordinates efforts between federal, state, and local agencies to apprehend predators and rescue victims.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Dallas Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks leading the prosecution.

For more information on Project Safe Childhood and internet safety education, visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.