Southeast Texas 'babysitter' sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Southeast Texas woman, who was supposed to care for a young child but instead recorded her sexual assault, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography.

This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. This sentence resulted from an investigation by the following agencies: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations, Aransas Pass (Texas) Police Department, and the Corpus Christi Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Rosa Linda Ganceres, 54, of Mathis, Texas, was sentenced to the maximum term of 360 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos. She was also sentenced to serve 10 years of supervised release, and must register as a sex offender. The court took into consideration a letter read in court by the mother of the victim, in which she described the impact the sexual abuse has had on the child. In handing down the sentence, Judge Ramos stated “The facts of this case are horrendous. What you did to those children is unimaginable.”

Ganceres pleaded guilty to the criminal charges June 8. At the time of her plea, the court heard that Ganceres and her boyfriend and registered sex offender – Daniel Benson Billman, 43, of Aransas Pass – placed an ad on craigslist offering babysitting services. The victim’s mother answered the ad and Ganceres was supposed to care for the child. Instead, Billman sexually assaulted the 2-year-old girl while Ganceres recorded the assault.

In August 2015, authorities executed a search warrant at Billman’s residence and seized a cellphone. Forensic examination led to the discovery of a video of the child involved in sexually explicit conduct that Ganceres recorded.

Billman has also pleaded guilty to his crimes. In March 2016, Senior U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack sentenced him to 50 years in federal prison.

Ganceres will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo Martinez, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.

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 14,000 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 2015, nearly 2,400 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.