El Paso Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Receiving, Distributing Child Pornography

EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso today to 180 months in prison for receipt and distribution of a visual depiction involving the sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to court documents, Oscar Garcia Jr., 33, distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) via a global instant messaging app in July 2022.  Already a registered sex offender due to a prior conviction, Garcia used a phone belonging to his father to download CSAM.  An investigation revealed more than 317 images and 33 videos containing CSAM.  Garcia has remained in federal custody since his arrest on Aug. 10, 2022.

“This defendant was a repeat offender who continued to pursue child sexual abuse material despite his previous conviction,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas.  “With this lengthy prison sentence, we ensure he will no longer possess the means to access such material, preventing him from further victimizing so many innocent children as he had the years prior.”

“FBI El Paso’s Child Exploitation & Human Trafficking Task Force, along with our law enforcement partners around the nation remain committed in identifying individuals distributing child pornography on the internet,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey for the FBI El Paso Field Office.  “Investigating those who prey on our most vulnerable population remains a top priority for the FBI. This sentence sends a clear message that there are severe consequences for those who exploit children in any way and the FBI will continue to dedicate our resources to identify these individuals and bring them to justice.”

The FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Dos Santos prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

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