Surprise man sentenced to 15 years for sexual exploitation of a minor
PHOENIX – A former service technician for CenturyLink was sentenced Friday to 15-years in the Arizona Department of Corrections after being convicted on felony charges of sexual exploitation of a minor and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, following a probe by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Raymond Luis Peltier, 43, of Surprise, will also serve a consecutive term of lifetime probation upon his release from prison, and will have to register as a sex offender.
“Lengthy sentences are a gratifying outcome for the HSI special agents who work tirelessly to identify child sexual predators and bring them to justice,” said Scott Brown, special agent in charge for the HSI Phoenix. “The sexual exploitation of children is a despicable crime with very serious consequences for those convicted. HSI remains committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who victimize the most vulnerable members of our society, our children.”
Court records indicate Peltier pleaded guilty in April 2019, to the two felony counts involving the possession of child pornography. HSI received information from “Chatstep,” an online chat service, regarding several online chat rooms it had identified where people had posted links to child pornography files hosted elsewhere on the internet. Through investigative techniques, HSI special agents were able to locate the IP address for these posts which traced back to an internet service at Peltier’s residence in Surprise.
On Dec. 13, 2017, HSI special agents executed a search warrant at Peltier’s residence and seized electronic devices that contained images of child pornography. During this same search, agents also located “upskirt” style videos that Peltier had surreptitiously recorded during visits to customer’s homes as a technician. Using records from CenturyLink and the corresponding date/time stamps from the data files, HSI special agents were able to locate and interview two victims – including a child – who confirmed that Peltier did not have permission to record the videos.
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.
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.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Todd Lawson and Joseph Waters with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
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