Rico Wilbert Gets 17 Years for Fueling Child Porn Ring

RICCO WILBERT, a 38-year-old from Purvis, Mississippi, is headed to federal prison for 17 years after admitting he fueled the production of child pornography by egging on predator Josue Cota. Sentenced May 8, 2019, in Tucson, Arizona, by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto, Wilbert will serve a lifetime of supervised release and must comply with all sex offender registration requirements. His crime wasn’t passive viewing—it was active participation in the sexual abuse of children.

Wilbert pleaded guilty on August 27, 2018, to aiding and abetting the production of child pornography, a charge that cut through the digital veil he tried to hide behind. Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Douglas, Arizona, caught him in damning online chats where he repeatedly demanded ‘new’ videos from Cota as the abuse unfolded. Wilbert didn’t just watch—he pushed for more, encouraging the crimes in real time.

The investigation began with Cota, who was later sentenced in February 2019 to 60 years in prison for producing child pornography. But prosecutors made clear that Wilbert’s role was no less vile. For at least nine months between 2016 and 2017, the two men traded explicit material and messages, forming a toxic digital pipeline that thrived on the exploitation of minors. Wilbert’s appetite for fresh abuse footage fed Cota’s criminal behavior.

According to evidence presented, Wilbert specifically asked Cota to create new videos while the abuse was happening, essentially acting as a spectator-turned-accomplice. His messages weren’t ambiguous—they were direct prompts for further victimization. Each request lit a fuse on another act of unspeakable violence against vulnerable children.

This case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, the Department of Justice’s sweeping initiative launched in May 2006 to dismantle networks of child sexual exploitation. Led by U.S. Attorneys and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, the project combines federal, state, and local forces to hunt down predators online and rescue victims before more damage is done.

The investigation was conducted by HSI’s Douglas Office. Prosecution was handled by Carin C. Duryee and Carmen F. Corbin of the District of Arizona, Tucson. For more on Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.