A Monrovia man faces grim charges after a federal grand jury indicted him Tuesday for the alleged production and distribution of child sexual abuse material involving a toddler. Law enforcement officials say 22-year-old David Lisandro Perez Figueroa stands accused of committing predatory acts which he then circulated on the social media platform X, known before as Twitter.
The indictment details how Figueroa reportedly managed to coercively engage a 2-year-old child in sexually explicit conduct purely for the purpose of creating a visual depiction of the vile abuse. In a sickening twist, it was British law enforcement officials on the trail of another suspect in the UK who stumbled upon the unspeakable imagery on July 22. They promptly alerted US authorities to the crime that appeared to directly connect to Figueroa.
Figueroa's arraignment is scheduled for December 28 in the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He has been detained without bond since his earlier arrest this month. According to a statement by the Justice Department, if Figueroa is found guilty on all counts, a sentence of anywhere from 15 years to a maximum of 50 years in federal prison could be imposed.
Homeland Security Investigations took the lead in the follow-up inquiry that involved a December 5 search warrant execution at Figueroa's residence, which produced enough evidence to justify his arrest. While the indictment marks an allegation, and no person is to be presumed guilty without a fair trial, the charges outlined strike a serious chord about the ever-escalating battle against the distribution of child pornography.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amy E. Pomerantz of the Violent and Organized Crime Section. Public Information Officer Ciaran McEvoy confirmed the grim details of the case and urged the public to recognize the indictment as an allegation, with the current legal system upholding the principle that all accused individuals are "presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
