A Mexican national residing in Texas has been given a six-year prison sentence for downloading and possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Angel DeJesus Torres, 32, from Donna was found to have used various peer-to-peer (P2P) applications to traffic the illicit materials.

At the sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane laid down the law on Torres, his decision not just a matter of containment but, of retribution for the victims – Torres is ordered to pay $45,000 in restitution. The disturbing content he downloaded included videos of children, specifically prepubescent, aged four to nine, and in some instances depicted in acts of bondage. Post-release, Torres is slated for a five-year supervised release and must register as a sex offender. As a non-U.S. citizen, he also faces deportation proceedings.

Back in 2018, an investigation kicked off to track down persons using P2P software to distribute child pornography. This led authorities to an IP address in Donna, subsequently linked to Torres. A May 2019 raid of his residence sealed his fate as it resulted in the seizure of his personal cellphone containing the said videos.

Torres confessed to the vile crime, admitting his frequent engagement with these videos. His custody will continue until he's moved to a federal prison, a location yet to be decided, according to the Department of Justice.

The Homeland Security Investigations Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Investigations Task Force spearheaded the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell prosecuted the case. This case falls under Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide campaign initiated by the DOJ in 2006 targeting the proliferation of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more details on the initiative and internet safety, the DOJ's PSC page offers resources and information.