Tony Santiago Sulzona Indicted and Arrested for Child Pornography

SAN JUAN, PR—Yesterday, a grand jury returned a thirty-three (33) count indictment charging Tony Santiago Sulzona, 51, with transporting child pornography in interstate commerce, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The individual was arrested this morning in Mayagüez, PR, at his workplace by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, without incident.

The Indictment charges that from March, 2009, through April 2009, the defendant uploaded approximately 1,400 pictures, on thirty-three (33) different dates, of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct onto a website. Santiago Sulzona knowingly transported the illegal images via cell phone and/or computer with access to the internet. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation for all the materials or property used or intended to be used in possession, receipt, distribution, or transportation of child pornography.

“We will not and cannot tolerate anyone who seeks to harm our children through the possession and dissemination of images of their sexual abuse and exploitation”, said United States Attorney Rosa E. Rodríguez-Vélez. Project Safe Childhood is an initiative of the Department of Justice aimed at preventing the abuse and exploitation of children by use of the Internet and other mediums.

If convicted, the defendant faces a sentence of a minimum of five (5) years and a maximum of twenty (20) years' imprisonment per count and a supervised release term of a minimum of five (5) years up to life. Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the FBI and its being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Y. Hernández Vega.