A California state prisoner, 21-year-old Nathaniel Ray Diaz from Greenfield, has been indicted on child sexual exploitation charges. Diaz, who is incarcerated at Avenal State Prison for lewd acts against a minor and criminal threats, allegedly continued his criminal activities while behind bars, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Despite a 10-year no contact order, the prisoner managed to make thousands of calls to the same victim; court documents claim Diaz used multiple channels of prison communication, including phones, a CDCR-issued tablet, and messaging equipment to contact the minor and, having instructed them to send images of a sexually explicit nature, when he discovered these communications could be revealed, directed their deletion which landed him an additional charge of obstruction of justice. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Service Unit, and the Salinas Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa and DOJ Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower leading the prosecution, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Diaz faces significant prison time if convicted, with a minimum of 25 years and up to 50 years for sexual exploitation, along with fines up to $250,000. The sentence for attempting to receive a visual depiction could range from 15 to 40 years, plus fines. The obstruction charge could add up to 20 years. The final sentence will be determined by Federal Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors. Diaz is presumed innocent until proven guilty. This case is part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative, launched in 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more details, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
