Eagle Pass Resident Charged with Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

This morning, 23-year-old Marco Antonio Cervantes of Eagle Pass, Texas, surrendered to authorities in Del Rio after being indicted on federal child pornography charges announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Armando Fernandez.

A federal grand jury indictment returned yesterday charges Cervantes with one count each of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. On January 19, 2012, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence, where they seized his home computer and related media. A forensics analysis of the seized items revealed the presence of thousands of images and hundreds of videos depicting child pornography downloaded via the Internet.

Upon conviction, Cervantes faces between five and 20 years in federal prison for distribution of child porn and up to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. Cervantes appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Victor Roberto Garcia in Del Rio this morning for his initial appearance. Bond was set at $30,000.

This case was investigated by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan McCalla and Erica Giese are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.