Albuquerque Man Arrested on Federal Child Pornography Charges

ALBUQUERQUE—Maximiliano Cordova, 19, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was arrested by the FBI on May 6, 2013, on a criminal complaint alleging that Cordova distributed, received, and possessed visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Cordova made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday and waived his right to a detention hearing. He will remain in federal custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled.

According to the criminal complaint, the investigation leading to Cordova’s arrest was initiated in mid-January 2013, after an FBI agent who was working in an undercover capacity in New Jersey signed into a publicly available peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing network that was being used by individuals who were sharing child pornography images. The agent learned that one of the individuals sharing child pornography images on the P2P network was using an IP address that was subscribed to Cordova’s residential address. On May 3, 2013, the FBI executed a search warrant at Cordova’s residence.

While executing the search warrant, FBI agents observed a laptop computer on Cordova’s bed that was running and displaying information for the P2P network that was used for sharing child pornography. The FBI seized the laptop computer, other computers, and other computer-related media from Cordova’s residence. A preliminary examination of the laptop computer confirmed that it contained child pornography images.

If convicted of the offenses alleged in the criminal complaint, Cordova faces a sentence of not less than five years or more than 40 years in prison. He would also be required to register as a sex offender. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case was investigated by FBI and the New Mexico Regional Forensic Lab and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlyn E. Rees. It 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 Operation 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 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.