HSI McAllen investigations leads to the indictment of a Mexican man for downloading child pornography of prepubescent minors

MCALLEN, Texas — A Mexican man was charged on Wednesday for receipt and possession of child pornography depicting prepubescent minors, following an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Ricardo Reyes-Garcia, 26, from Reynosa, Mexico, was indicted on two counts for both receipt and possession of child pornography.

According to the criminal complaint originally filed in the case, an investigation revealed Reyes-Garcia uploaded multiple files of child pornography into his Google account while in the United States. He allegedly downloaded approximately 200 videos depicting children between the ages of five and 13 and categorized them into a folder designated for child pornography.

If convicted, Reyes-Garcia faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker, Southern District of Texas, is prosecuting the case

For more news and information on HSI Houston’s efforts to aggressively investigate child exploitation and keep Southeast Texas communities safe from child predators follow us on Twitter @HSI_SanAntonio.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free tip line at 1-866-347-2423, or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the United States and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199; hearing impaired users may call TTY 802-872-6196.

HSI takes a victim-centered approach to child exploitation investigations by working to identify, rescue and stabilize victims. HSI works in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) partners, and other federal, state, and local agencies to help solve cases and rescue sexually exploited children. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to NCMEC’s toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

HSI is a founding member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.

One of HSI’s top priorities is to protect the public from crimes of victimization, and HSI’s child exploitation investigations program is a central component of this mission set. Further, HSI is recognized as a global leader in this investigative discipline, and is committed to utilizing its vast authorities, international footprint and strong government and non-government partnerships to identify and rescue child victims, identify, and apprehend offenders, prevent transnational child sexual abuse, and help make the internet a safer place for children.

HSI is a directorate of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 6,800 special agents assigned to 225 cities throughout the United States, and 86 overseas locations in 55 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.