Samuel Rios, Child Exploitation and Child Pornography, California 2025

Monterey Man Charged with Child Exploitation and Child Pornography

San Jose, CA – A federal grand jury has indicted Samuel Rios, 29, of Monterey, California, on seven counts of child exploitation and child pornography offenses.

The indictment alleges that Rios used the social media platform Snapchat to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce two minor victims to engage in sexually explicit activity from July 24, 2023, through March 5, 2024, and from May 9, 2024, through May 10, 2024.

The indictment also alleges that Rios produced child sexual abuse materials with minor victims in the Northern District of California in 2023 and 2024, and further possessed and distributed child sexual abuse materials.

Rios has been in federal custody since July 16, 2025. He is next scheduled to appear in federal court on July 28, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Virginia K. DeMarchi.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Rios faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count of coercion and enticement of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b); a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison for each count of production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a); a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison for the count of distribution of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1); and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the count of possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2).

The investigation was conducted by HSI, the Monterey Police Department, and the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office. If you believe you are the victim of a crime perpetrated by Rios or have information relevant to this case, please contact HSI at HSISanJose@dhs.gov or (877) 477-4847.