ICE HSI investigation results in 20-year sentence handed down to NM man for producing child pornography

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A Las Cruces, New Mexico, man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Thursday for production of child pornography, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The Las Cruces Police Department assisted with the case.

Armando Abel Gonzalez, 40, pleaded guilty on March 17, 2020.

According to court records, on Sept. 9, 2019, HSI received a cyber tip from the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office that had been received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

In his plea agreement, Gonzalez admitted that on June 3, 2019, he used Facebook to chat with Clarissa Chavez, 31, of Las Cruces, and that he produced and sent a pornographic video of a 10-year-old victim to Chavez.

On Sept. 3, 2020, Chavez pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography. In her plea agreement, Chavez admitted to using Facebook to chat with Gonzalez and that on June 10, 2019, she received a video from Gonzalez depicting a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct with an adult. On Jan. 12, 2021, Chavez was sentenced to five years and 11 months in prison.

Upon their release from prison, Gonzalez and Chavez will be subject to 10 years of supervised release and both must register as sex offenders.

Assistant United States Attorney Marisa A. Ong prosecuted the case.

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 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 7,100 special agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 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.