ICE arrests Carolina area man for possession of child pornography

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A Carolina resident was arrested Tuesday for possession of child pornography following a child exploitation probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force (PRCACTF).

Jose Lopez-Vega, 34, was arrested without incident at his place of residence. His arrest stemmed from an HSI investigation that revealed that he allegedly used a peer-to-peer (P2P) network to download sexually explicit images depicting child pornography. A P2P network is a platform in which a computer can act as a server for others allowing shared access to files and peripherals without the need for a central server.

On Aug. 11, HSI special agents executed a federal search warrant at Lopez-Vega’s residence and seized his desktop computer and a hard drive. A preliminary forensic analysis of the materiel seized revealed several images and videos depicting a female minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Lopez Vega had his initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sylvia Carreño on Tuesday. He was transferred to the Guaynabo Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting the outcome of his case. Detention and preliminary hearings were slated for Aug. 14 and Aug. 25, respectively.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ginette Milanes is prosecuting the case.

In response to the need for an island-wide approach in the fight against the escalation of predatory crimes against children, HSI San Juan partnered with members of local, state and federal law enforcement, as well as local and state government officials and community leaders, to form the PRCACTF in June 2011.

Through PRCACTF, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies work together with local and state government agencies to effectively pool their resources to jointly investigate all crimes against children in Puerto Rico. Through the task force, law enforcement officers are encouraged to share evidence, ideas, and investigative and forensic tools to ensure the most successful prosecutions possible. As such, PRCACTF allows law enforcement to speak with one unified voice in defense of the children of Puerto Rico.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 12,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2014, more than 2,300 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page. HSI is a founding member and current chair 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.