Child Predator Behind Bars: Seth Herrera Pleads Guilty to Heinous Crimes
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – In a shocking turn of events, a former Army soldier has pleaded guilty to child exploitation crimes committed in Alaska and Texas. Seth Herrera, 36, a specialist at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, confessed to attempting to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and trafficking of CSAM.
According to court documents, Herrera’s descent into darkness began in March 2021, when he started using The Onion Router (TOR) and encrypted applications to access and possess CSAM on his cell phones. Over the next six weeks, he uploaded over 100 files to a publicly accessible group on one of the platforms. Herrera’s addiction to CSAM led him to participate in hundreds of groups and channels, some focusing on bestiality, incest, and infants/toddlers.
The investigation revealed that Herrera had tens of thousands of CSAM videos and images, depicting sadistic and masochistic content of boys and girls ranging in age from infant through pubescent. In addition, he used AI chatbots to create morphed CSAM, including taking non-explicit images of children known to him and using them to create explicit content.
Herrera’s crimes were not limited to online activities. He began secretly taking photos and recordings of minors known to him in El Paso, Texas, in March 2021. In December 2022, he captured screenshots of minors via security cameras around his home. He even used AI chatbots to enhance and improve the quality of an explicit screenshot.
On August 23, 2024, Herrera was arrested at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. A federal grand jury indicted him on transportation, receipt, and possession of child pornography. On May 14, 2025, a grand jury in the Western District of Texas indicted him on production and receipt of child pornography related to his conduct in El Paso. Herrera entered his plea under a global plea agreement after the Western District of Texas transferred their case to the District of Alaska on June 15, 2026.
Herrera faces between 15 and 20 years in prison, pending a sentence on September 29. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman, U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons, Acting Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle Special Agent in Charge April Miller, and Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s (Army CID) Western Field Office made the announcement.
HSI Seattle and the Army CID investigated the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson and Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuting the case.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of child exploitation and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable.
Key Facts
- State: Alaska
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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