Resident of MacDill Air Force Base Charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Production of Child Pornography

TAMPA—Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Erich Clifford Mandell Ramos (27, Tampa) with one count of aggravated sexual abuse, two counts of production of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted on all counts, he faces a mandatory minimum term of 30 years’ imprisonment, up to a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Mandell Ramos has remained in federal custody since his arrest, pursuant to a complaint, on November 21, 2013.

According to the indictment, Mandell Ramos sexually abused a person under 12 years old and created images of the sexual abuse, while on MacDill Air Force Base.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.