Carlsbad Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child Porn

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Rachel Michelle Crutcher was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Crutcher, 38, of Carlsbad, pled guilty on Feb. 21 to production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

According to court documents, on Nov. 8, 2022, a Task Force Officer (TFO) working for the Child Exploitation and Human trafficking Task Force was monitoring a fetish website that is known to be used to meet, discuss and trade child sexual abuse material (CSAM) when they were contacted by a private user. The user offered and provided the TFO with several images of a minor performing sexually explicit conduct.

On Nov. 9, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation identified the user of the account as Rachel Crutcher and obtained a search warrant for Crutcher’s residence in Carlsbad. During the execution of the search warrant, agents spoke to Crutcher and her husband, Joseph Crutcher, 59, of Carlsbad. Joseph admitted he was the one who had taken the pictures and claimed Rachel was unaware of his conduct. Rachel initially denied knowledge or involvement, but during a later interview she admitted she had been involved.

Through diligent investigation, agents determined that both Rachel and Joseph had sexually abused the minor child with the intent of producing CSAM and that Joseph was the individual who sent the images to the TFO.

Upon her release from prison, Rachel will be required to register as a sex offender and will be on supervised release for life.

On Feb. 27, 2023, Joseph Crutcher pled guilty to one count each production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Joseph remains in custody pending sentencing, which is currently not scheduled. At sentencing, Joseph faces 70 years in prison and must register as a sex offender.

Roswell Resident Agency and Albuquerque Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Matilda M. Villalobos are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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/.

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