San Miguel County Man Arrested on Federal Child Pornography Charges

ALBUQUERQUE – Guy N. Martinez, 22, of Las Vegas, N.M., was arrested by the FBI on July 18, 2014, on federal child pornography charges.  Martinez made his initial appearance in federal court earlier today, and remains in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for tomorrow morning.

Martinez is charged in a criminal complaint with possessing, receiving and distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  According to the criminal complaint, the FBI initiated the investigation leading to Martinez’s arrest after receiving a lead from Queensland Police Service (QPS) in Brisbane, Australia.  Following the arrest of an Australian citizen in March 2012, on child pornography charges, the QPS identified more than 100 United States-based email accounts that allegedly had been used to send, receive or discuss child pornography with the Australian citizen.  Investigation by the FBI revealed that one of those email accounts was subscribed to Martinez.

The FBI’s investigation revealed that Martinez had two email accounts that allegedly had been used to receive and distribute more than 1,000 images consistent with child pornography.  On July 18, 2014, the FBI executed a search warrant at Martinez’s residence in Las Vegas, N.M.  They arrested Martinez while executing the search warrant. 

If convicted of the charges in the criminal complaint, Martinez faces a federal prison term of not less than five years and not more than 20 years.  Martinez also would be required to register as a sex offender.  Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the FBI and the New Mexico State Police with assistance from the QPS.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob A. Wishard as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico.  There are 74 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the NMAGO.  Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.