Texas man sentenced to 20 years in prison for producing child pornography following ICE HSI investigation
BEAUMONT, Texas - A Texas man was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in federal prison for producing child pornography following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Beaumont, Texas, and the Orange County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office.
Joshua Welch, 50, a resident of Orange, Texas, was sentenced March 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Welch pleaded guilty to the charges on Sep. 20, 2021.
According to information presented in court, in April 2021, federal agents in Beaumont received information from federal agents in Syracuse, New York, regarding an internet user who had uploaded images containing child pornography and sent them to another user. An investigation had determined the initial sender of the material was in Orange, Texas.
On May 17, 2021, federal agents issued a search warrant at a residence located on East Ashford Park in Orange and encountered Welch. Welch admitted to producing the child pornography images and downloading. He also admitted to visiting other internet websites to view images of child pornography. Welch was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 2, 2021.
“This individual preyed on the innocence of our most vulnerable population to produce child sexual abuse material for his own twisted pleasure without regard for the permanent physical, psychological, and emotional scars that his victims have to endure,” said HSI Houston Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) Fred Garza. “The exploitation of our children will not be tolerated, and HSI Houston will continue to work tirelessly alongside our law enforcement partners to pursue anyone involved in the production, distribution, or possession of child pornography.”
“Those who choose to harm a child will quickly find themselves the number one target of law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “No stone will be left un-turned to stop child predators. Our law enforcement partners are dedicated to protecting our most precious population. Thank you to those men and women who work tirelessly to make our community playgrounds and our virtual playgrounds a safe place for all 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.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.
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