Henrico Couple Sentenced to 15 Years for Production of Child Pornography

RICHMOND, VA—Fidel Rodriguez, 54, and Yida Perez, 44, of Henrico County, Virginia, were sentenced today to 15 years’ imprisonment in U.S. District Court on four counts of production of child pornography. The defendants were convicted of the charges in a bench trial in November.

Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after the defendants were sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Robert E. Payne.

According to court documents and evidence presented at court, Rodriguez and Perez, who are husband and wife, sexually abused a minor relative for over six years and produced child pornographic images using the victim as a subject. The images were produced using a digital camera. Forensic analysts recovered dozens of the child pornographic images and videos saved on various forms of computer media throughout the defendants’ residence, along with additional child pornographic images downloaded from the Internet. Undercover agents initially detected an individual distributing child pornography from the defendants’ residence in 2013 and ultimately arrested Rodriguez and Perez on production of child pornography charges after a grand jury indictment in September.

Following their term of imprisonment, Rodriguez and Perez, who are Cuban citizens and were granted residency in the United States over six years ago, will be required to register as sex offenders in any U.S. jurisdiction in which they live, work, or attend school.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Henrico County Police Department, and the Richmond Police Department as part of the FBI’s Innocent Images Task Force. Special Assistant United States Attorney Gene Fishel of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.