Texas National Guard soldier sentenced to federal prison for possessing child pornography following HSI investigation
DEL RIO, Texas – A Fort Worth man active in the Texas National Guard was sentenced in a federal court to 72 months in prison and ordered to pay a $17,000 assessment for possession of child pornography on Dec. 1 following an HSI investigation.
According to court documents, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers conducted a traffic stop near Del Rio on Dec. 17, 2021. Jesus Gaytan III, 23, and a minor were passengers in the vehicle. Upon questioning, both disclosed they were in a sexual relationship. A review of Gaytan’s cell phone revealed a video of Gaytan and the minor involved in sexual acts. Gaytan was arrested during the traffic stop and has remained in federal custody since. He pleaded guilty on March 14, 2022, to one count of possession of child pornography.
“Individuals who commit heinous acts against children will be found and brought to justice,” said HSI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “I am grateful for the cooperation of our federal partners whose collaboration is vital to find these criminals and keep them off our streets.”
“The possession of child pornography is a serious offense and anyone in violation will be prosecuted accordingly,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Jaime Esparza. “I appreciate the professionalism and dedication of our law enforcement partners at the state and federal levels in this case, which led to this six-year sentence.”
HSI Del Rio and DPS investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rex Beasley prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc.
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 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 more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 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.
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