A Jamaican Plain man has been hit with a 22-year prison sentence for a sordid scheme in which he paid individuals in the Dominican Republic to create child pornography, federal prosecutors in Boston said yesterday. Robinson Alberto Baez-Nova, 39, will also be staring down a lifetime of supervised release once he gets out from behind bars.
The pervert pleaded guilty last August to charges that included sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography, in federal court before U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in a statement, “This Office will do everything in our power to protect children, and punish those who traffic in child pornography. Mr. Baez-Nova callously preyed upon some of society’s most vulnerable people, perpetuated a cycle of harm and exploitation and inflicted irreparable damage upon innocent lives."
FBI Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen echoed this sentiment, describing Baez-Nova as a “manipulative sexual predator” who exploited children in poverty. She assured that Baez-Nova's conviction demonstrates the FBI's commitment to bringing such predators to justice, ensuring they end up in federal prison.
The case against Baez-Nova began after he was identified as the owner of a Google account linked to uploading horrific images and videos of abused youngsters. Upon raiding his digital life, agents discovered over 200 images and over 400 videos of child sexual abuse material on his cellphone and Google account. An investigation uncovered a WhatsApp chat on his phone with a 17-year-old male from the Dominican Republic, who was convinced to produce explicit videos of his nine-year-old niece in exchange for money – a clear and chilling evidence of Baez-Nova’s exploitation methods.
Assistance in the investigation was provided by a slew of law enforcement partners, including the Boston Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations, Boston Field Division, along with regional authorities. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Grady and Mackenzie Duane of the Major Crimes Unit were in charge of prosecuting the case.
The vile crimes of Baez-Nova were brought to light as part of Project Safe Childhood, a persistent effort by the Department of Justice that since its inception in May 2006 has aimed to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. More details on the initiative can be found on the DOJ website.
