News Releases and Statements

Nathan David Hankins, 28, was indicted Dec. 17, 2019. Due to delays caused by the pandemic he finally appeared in federal court Oct. 1 to respond to the charge and  plead not guilty.

Joel Alex Sandate, 32, of Los Fresnos, Texas, was sentenced Oct. 7 in federal court to 120 months in federal prison. His sentence is to be followed immediately followed by 20 years of supervised release.

Robert Henderson, Jr., 59, of Tucson, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 10 years in prison. Henderson pleaded guilty March 5, 2020, to distribution of child pornography.

Anthony Brown, 57, of Lakewood, was arrested Wednesday morning by special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles. At his arraignment in U.S. District Court Wednesday afternoon, Brown pleaded not guilty to three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

However, the Brazilian national had already fled the United States for Brazil by crossing into Mexico on foot and requesting an emergency travel document from the Brazilian embassy in Mexico. A Brazilian national cannot be extradited under the Brazilian Constitution, indicating the suspect fled to avoid arrest and prosecution by American authorities.

Court records show that from Aug. 2020 through Nov. 2020, Andrew J. Kerr, 32, of Corbin, Kentucky, recorded multiple videos of himself engaging in sexual acts with a minor victim.

According to the plea agreement, Daniel Logan Brown, 24, admitted to advertising child pornography by circulating hyperlinks to online data storage accounts containing thousands of files of child pornography for others to download.

As the result of a probe by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles, Billy Edward Frederick, 51, of Redondo Beach, pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with production of child pornography for transportation into the United States and enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.

Lieutenant Commander Ronald W. Zenga, 45, of Middletown, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty on November 19, 2020, to coercion of a minor, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

A federal grand jury charged Steve Jackson Rodriguez, 37, of Pomona, in a six-count indictment that includes four counts alleging he produced child pornography.

Luis Felipe Salazar-Sanchez, 29, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Salazar-Sanchez, a non-U.S. citizen, set to face removal proceedings following completion of his sentence.

On Friday morning, law enforcement executed a state search warrant at a residence on the 7200 block of SR 92 resulting in the arrest of Luis Cesar Fernandez De Castro, 35, of Sierra Vista.

Robert Andrew Riley, 68, from South Padre Island, Texas, was sentenced Aug. 26, in federal court to 168 months in federal prison.

Special agents with ICE's HSI joined the East Valley Human Trafficking Taskforce (EVHTTF) on a two-day “Buyer Reduction” or sting operation, which resulted in 18 arrests.

Michael Joseph Pepe, 67, a former resident of Oxnard who has been in federal custody since 2007, was found guilty of four felony offenses – two counts of traveling in foreign commerce with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child.

Kyle Doussett, 49, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson to ten years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. Doussett was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment fee and may be ordered to pay restitution, to be determined at a later date.

Cheng-Hsuan “Eric” Tsai, 29, of Mesa, Arizona, appeared for his initial appearance Friday morning. He faces 20 counts of distribution and possessing images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Maricopa County Judge Steven McCarthy set Tsai’s bail to $1 million.

Leonard J. Andrew, Jr., 36, of Bedford, Kentucky, pleaded guilty in November 2020 to the distribution of child pornography.

Brian Kampel, 44, pleaded guilty to the charges earlier this month in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Following his prison term, he will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life.

According to court documents, HSI and VBPD first identified Marco Viscomi, 36, of Ontario, in 2012 after a father of two girls, who were 13 and 17 years old at the time, reported to VBPD that his daughters had been sexually extorted by someone they met online.

From July 19 through July 26, law enforcement agencies with the Southeast Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (AZICAC), arrested two individuals for attempting to lure minors to engage in sexual conduct.

As a result of the operation: Three minors were recovered; 75 minors were located; Two minors remain outstanding; The minors recovered and located were offered services that help identify the potential exploitation of at-risk children.

Bradley Scott Helton, 33, previously pleaded guilty to communicating with the victim via an app called “Kiss Kiss: Spin the Bottle.” He admitted to chatting with the victim, sending sexual videos and pictures, and requesting the victim send sexual videos in return.

The operation known as “Behind the Mask” was an undercover operation that targeted the demand for child sex crimes and human trafficking. Throughout the operational period, undercover detectives placed ads on websites commonly sought out by suspects seeking illegal sex acts. The suspects reportedly solicited and/or brokered deals for various sex acts and were subsequently arrested.

Billy Frederick, 51, was arrested Wednesday morning without incident, following HSI’s investigation into the matter. During his initial court appearance late Wednesday afternoon, a U.S. magistrate judge ordered Frederick jailed without bond pending trial.