Corpus Christi man sentenced to 14 years after child pornography guilty plea

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A local man was sentenced on Wednesday to 14 years and two months imprisonment for receiving child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney José Angel Moreno, Southern District of Texas. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Corpus Christi Police Department (CCPD).

Adrian Alvarado, 25, pleaded guilty on Feb. 22 to receiving child pornography on Oct. 29, 2010. The images and videos consisted of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack handed down the 170-month sentence.

On Nov. 1, 2010, Alvarado was arrested at the Falfurrias, Texas, Border Patrol Checkpoint while attempting to smuggle 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of marijuana. Alvarado's personal cell phone was searched as part of the drug trafficking investigation and several images of child pornography were discovered.

A detective with the CCPD's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (CCPD ICAC) was contacted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and provided Alvarado's cell phone. A federal search warrant was executed on Alvarado's cell phone and a forensic examination conducted by CCPD on the phones contents revealed several photos and videos of a minor female engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Additionally, numerous text messages were discovered between Alvarado and his victim, which Alvarado coerced and instructed to produce sexually explicit images for his receipt. Alvarado was aware of the victim's age and status as a child when requesting the production and receipt of these images.

ICE HSI agents discovered the minor victim's identity, whose images Alvarado possessed. Interviews with the victim confirmed the creation and receipt of the child pornography as having occurred at Alvarado's direction.

In sentencing Alvarado, Judge Jack stressed the need to protect the public from Alvarado and to discourage others from engaging in similar behavior. Judge Jack also sentenced Alvarado to a lifetime term of supervised release and ordered Alvarado to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. Alvarado has remained in custody since his Jan. 3 arrest, following his indictment on federal child pornography charges on Dec. 20, 2010.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Tortorice, Southern District of Texas, is prosecuting the case.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.