Waterbury Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography Possession Charge
Operation Constant Vigilance
| U.S. Attorney’s Office August 11, 2011 |
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE MIGUEL ORTIZ, 32, of Pine Street, Waterbury, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before United States Magistrate Judge Thomas P. Smith in Hartford to one count of possession of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 8, 2008, during an interview with Federal Bureau of Investigation agents at his Waterbury residence, ORTIZ admitted that he used an Internet file-sharing program to view and possess images of child pornography. On that date, agents removed from the residence the family computer, a separate hard drive and 27 compact discs. Subsequent analysis of the computer and related items has revealed between 150 and 300 images of children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
ORTIZ is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on October 26, 2011, at which time ORTIZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, and the District of Connecticut’s “Operation Constant Vigilance,” which are aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which is housed at the main FBI office in New Haven, investigates crimes occurring over the Internet, including online crimes against children, and provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. For more information about the Task Force, or to report child exploitation crimes, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.