El Paso School District mechanic arrested on federal child pornography charges

EL PASO, Texas — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents arrested a local school district bus mechanic Thursday on child pornography charges.

Jose Miranda, 46, was arrested at his home in the 3200 block of Black Elk in El Paso.

He is charged with receiving and possessing material showing minors being sexually exploited.

Miranda is employed by the El Paso School District as a mechanic supervisor.

HSI special agents assigned to the Cyber Crimes Group, along with Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) Police Department officers, executed a federal search warrant at Miranda's east El Paso home May 31.

HSI special agents seized various electronic media items, including a computer.

A forensic analysis of the computer revealed numerous videos containing child pornography.

Miranda made his first appearance in court June 1, and remains in federal custody. His detention hearing is set for June 6 in federal court.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide HSI 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. HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.

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