A San Antonio resident was taken into custody by the FBI this past Tuesday on charges related to possession of child pornography. Zaid Mashhour Haddad, the man apprehended, is said to have been caught with illicit material displayed on his apartment's bedroom television during the execution of a search warrant by federal agents.
Documents from the court reveal that Haddad is accused of streaming child sexual abuse material (CSAM) by utilizing a link he received via the messaging app Telegram, according to the Justice Department's press release. When the FBI agents entered Haddad's premises, one of the videos, which was purportedly sourced from an extensive collection containing 181 different videos, was playing on the screen.
The investigation into Haddad's activities further indicates that he frequently received links directing to Zoom meetings where CSAM was being live-streamed, as detailed in the complaint. These links were sent through direct message threads on Telegram and were located within Haddad’s phone in the app itself.
Haddad's charges include one count of possession of child pornography and one count of knowingly accessing with intent to view any material that contained an image of child pornography. The Justice Department notes that a conviction could lead to up to 20 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, a potential fine of up to $250,000 in addition to a possible restitution amount, and a mandate to register as a sex offender.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman from the Western District of Texas publicized the arrest, citing that the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson. The FBI led the inquiry into the case, which is a part of the nation-wide Project Safe Childhood - an initiative to battle against the surge in child sexual exploitation and abuse on the internet.
It should be understood that at this stage, the criminal complaint against Haddad is an allegation. The principle of presumption of innocence applies until an individual is proven guilty in a court of law. Current updates on Project Safe Childhood and its endeavors can be found on the Department of Justice website.
