NM man pleads guilty to federal child pornography charge

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A 60-year-old man pleaded guilty Aug. 21 to receiving child pornography under a plea agreement.

This case resulted from an investigation by special agents with U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Curtis Caylor, of Albuquerque, was arrested Dec. 20, 2012 based on an indictment charging him with three counts of receiving child pornography, and two counts of possessing child pornography. The indictment alleged that he received child pornography three times in September 2011, and that he possessed child pornography in January 2012 in Bernalillo County.

During the proceedings, Caylor pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography. In his plea agreement, Caylor acknowledged that HSI special agents and the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC Task Force) executed a search warrant at his home Jan. 12, 2012, and seized computers and computer-related media.

The search warrant was issued based on an investigation by the New Mexico State Police that began in June 2011, and targeted individuals who possessed, received and distributed child pornography. The investigation revealed that an Internet Protocol address that was subscribed to Caylor's residence was being used to download child pornography images and videos through a peer-to-peer file-sharing program.

Caylor also acknowledged that a forensic examination of his computers and computer-related media by HSI and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory revealed thousands of images and videos consistent with child pornography. He further acknowledged that HSI sent more than a thousand of these images and 600 of those videos to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC has issued a preliminary report indicating they include 154 videos of 48 children who have been identified as child pornography victims and have been rescued.

Caylor faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. He remains in federal custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Caylor will forfeit his computers and computer-related media.

The Online Predator Unit of the New Mexico State Police, the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory and other members of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force also participated in this investigation.

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 1-866-347-2423 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, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-843-5678.

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.