Albuquerque Couple Faces Federal Child Pornography Charges

ALBUQUERQUE—Frederick Gonzales, 42, and his wife Carey Gonzales, 36, both of Albuquerque, New Mexico, were arrested on federal child pornography charges on January 18, 2013.

The couple made their initial appearances in federal court in Albuquerque this morning. They remain in custody pending detention hearings, which are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Frederick and Carey Gonzales previously were arrested on state child pornography charges on January 11, 2013.

At the time, Frederick Gonzales was the incoming president of Albuquerque’s Young America Football League (YAFL), and Carey Gonzales was employed as a kindergarten teacher’s aide by the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS).

Since then, YAFL has removed Frederick Gonzales from his position with the organization, and APS has fired Carey Gonzales.

Frederick and Carey Gonzales are charged in federal criminal complaints that were filed on January 18, 2013.

Frederick Gonzales is charged with distribution, receipt, and possession of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. If convicted of those charges, he faces a maximum penalty of not less than five years and not more than 20 years in prison.

Carey Gonzales is charged with possession of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment or 20 years of imprisonment if the child pornography depicts prepubescent children.

Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlyn E. Rees, and was investigated by the following members of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force: the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, the Albuquerque office of the FBI, and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory.

The case was brought 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 part of the New Mexico 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 64 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies associated with the ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.