Ceres Man Indicted for Receiving Child Pornography

FRESNO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Javier Rocha, 20, of Ceres, was arrested today after a federal grand jury returned an indictment on August 18, 2011, charging him with receiving child pornography. Rocha had an initial appearance today and was released under strict conditions, including electronic monitoring. His next court date is September 6, 2011, at 9:00 a.m. before District Judge Anthony W. Ishii.

According to the indictment, Rocha received child pornography on his computer via the Internet.

If convicted, Rocha faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison up to a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory sentencing factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The charges in the indictment are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC mobilizes federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and ask to speak with the PSC coordinator.