News Releases and Statements

According to the indictment, Eric Wayne Grinder, 36, allegedly sexually abused a now 10-year old minor, and produced images of himself and the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct over the course of three years. In addition, he used electronic communications devices to store and obtain visual depictions of minor victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

The investigation into Henry Franklin Reddick, 69, began after authorities received a CyberTipline report from The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The CyberTipline provides the public and electronic service providers with the ability to report online instances of child pornography.

David Lee Vann, 35, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason B. Libby and entered a guilty plea to one count of soliciting a minor online.

Scott C. Foster, 37, made his initial appearance before a federal magistrate judge on April 24, 2017, where his federal indictment was unsealed. Foster allegedly used a fake Facebook account under the name of “Chase Reacher” to harass, threaten, and coerce minor females into making and sending sexually explicit photographs.

Richard Hennis, 41, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and a co-defendant, Brandi Leonard, were first charged by criminal complaints on March 11, 2016.

According to documents filed in the case, Jeffrey Neal Cuddington, 38, used his computers to search on the internet for images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

William Allen Patterson, 34, from Alamogordo, New Mexico, must also register as a sex offender after he completes his sentence. Patterson was arrested Aug. 10, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with possessing and receiving visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit activity from 2002 to 2012, and on Aug. 10, 2016, in Otero County, New Mexico.

Kyle J. Tate, 34, was arrested in May and pleaded guilty in November after another individual implicated him in the collection and sharing of child pornography. HSI special agents acted swiftly in obtaining a federal search warrant to seize digital devices located in Tate’s home due to his proximity to children at the Hutch Kids Child Care Center where he worked.

Laron Thomas Zaugg, 50, of Ogden, Utah, reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in December. He admitted that beginning about Aug. 26, 2014, and continuing until about Dec, 5, 2014, he received images and videos of child pornography on his yahoo email account. 

Alberto Randazzo, 40, of Astoria, New York, was sentenced to 28 years imprisonment, eight years of supervised release and sex offender registration for sexual exploitation and receipt of child pornography.

Melvy Edgardo Amaya, 32, was transferred to the custody of Salvadoran immigration officials by ERO officers at Monseñor Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in El Salvador. Amaya is named in an arrest warrant issued July 24, 2009, by a judge in San Salvador.

Chad Michael Bennett, 42, from Odessa, Texas, was sentenced April 19 by visiting U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison to 120 months in federal prison.

Ryan Glen Colburn, 23, of Rosenberg, Texas, first came to the attention of law enforcement after he sent images of child pornography to another individual who had been arrested on child pornography charges.

Edwin Oland Andrus, from Cleburne, Texas, was convicted after a South Texas jury deliberated for less than two hours after a two-day trial.

The plea agreement recommends that Ignacio Salcido Jr., 38, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, be sentenced to between 120 to 135 months in federal prison, which is to be followed by a period of supervised release to be determined by the court.

Michael Joseph Armano, 43, of St. Petersburg, was arrested April 27, 2016, by HSI special agents for child enticement, production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

Richard Charles Saari, 33, of East Helena, was sentenced April 12 to 135 months in federal prison, lifetime supervised release, and a special assessment of $100 by Senior U.S. District Judge Charles C. Lovell.

Tracey Lynn Bautista, 46, from League City, Texas, was sentenced to 112 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. 

Ambrose Ledezma, 24, of San Angelo, Texas, was sentenced last week to 135 months in federal prison. Ledezma pleaded guilty in December 2016 to one count of distributing child pornography.

Paul Binh Do, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter on charges stemming from a probe by the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Investigators found 83 images and three videos of a 6-year-old girl that had been shot with Eric Allen Haensgen’s iPhone and downloaded to a computer, according to court documents.

Ryan Bono, 36, of Oro Valley, was taken into custody by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). He is charged in a criminal complaint with one count of distributing child pornography.

Francisco Javier Soledad, 24, of Eastvale, is named in a 17-count indictment that alleges six counts of producing of child pornography; six counts of using the internet to induce a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity; two counts of advertising child pornography; two counts of distributing child pornography; and one count of possessing child pornography on an iPhone.

Joshua Ray Johnson, 35, from Cypress, Texas, was indicted by a federal grand jury in SDTX for producing and possessing child pornography. He was also charged with distributing child pornography in the District of Alaska which was later transferred to SDTX.