Tristalyn Valencia, Distributing Child Pornography, New Mexico 2015

Tristalyn Valencia, a 29-year-old woman from Farmington, New Mexico, has pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography, a felony charge that carries a prison sentence of 10 to 15 years.

According to the indictment, Valencia committed the crimes between May 2012 and August 2012 in San Juan County, New Mexico. She was arrested on December 24, 2015, on nine counts of producing visual depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

During today’s proceedings, Valencia pleaded guilty to a felony information charging her with distribution of child pornography. In entering the guilty plea, Valencia admitted that from June 1, 2012, through June 30, 2012, she distributed nine images containing child pornography.

Valencia admitted that each image depicted the same victim, who was under the age of 12 years, engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the images depicted the victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct with an adult male.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque and Phoenix offices of Homeland Security Investigations and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Farmington.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Valencia will be required to register as a sex offender upon her release from prison. The exact date of sentencing has not been announced.

Mandatory Facts: Defendant/Respondent: Tristalyn Valencia, Exact Criminal Charges: Distribution of child pornography, City and State: Farmington, New Mexico, Exact Date: June 1, 2012, through June 30, 2012, Sentence or Outcome: 10 to 15 years in prison followed by supervised release, and registration as a sex offender.

Related Federal Cases