Miguel Angel Lopez, Child Pornography Distribution, Texas 2019

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for distributing child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Miguel Angel Lopez pleaded guilty to the charges on October 24, 2019, and was sentenced to a total of 180 months in federal prison. Lopez was also ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution to the victims and will serve 15 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term.

According to the investigation, Lopez was found to have possessed 63,975 unique images and 853 unique videos of child pornography. The materials were discovered during a search at his residence in Brownsville, which was executed by law enforcement in January 2018.

Lopez’s arrest was the result of an investigation into child pornography sharing on the internet. The Homeland Security Investigations – Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force led the investigation, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano and Jason Corley are prosecuting the case. Lopez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

As part of his supervised release, Lopez will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

The case highlights the importance of protecting children from online exploitation. The public is urged to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.

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