Albuquerque nurse, home healthcare provider arrested on federal child pornography charges

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A registered nurse, employed by two home healthcare businesses that provide mental health and medical care for children and adolescents, remains in federal custody following his arrest Thursday on federal child pornography charges.

Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are investigating this case.

John Jaramillo, 44, of Albuquerque, was arrested April 24 by HSI special agents on a criminal complaint charging him with receiving and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Jaramillo made his initial appearance in federal court April 25 and remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing set for April 28.

According to the criminal complaint, the investigation leading to Jaramillo's arrest began in November 2013 when a New Mexico State Police agent identified an Internet Protocol address being used to share files containing child pornography. The agent was conducting an investigation targeting individuals who share child pornography on peer-to-peer file-sharing networks. Subsequent investigation revealed that the IP address was subscribed to the address for Jaramillo's residence in Albuquerque.

The criminal complaint states that on April 24, a federal search warrant was executed at the residence by HSI, the New Mexico State Police, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office, and the Albuquerque Police Department. Agents seized a computer and computer-related media allegedly used only by Jaramillo. A preliminary forensic examination of the computer taken from a room, identified as Jaramillo's office, allegedly recovered more than 250 images and videos consistent with child pornography.

If convicted of the charges in the criminal complaint, Jaramillo faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison; he would also be required to register as a sex offender.

Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by the Sexual Predator Exploitation and Enforcement Detail (SPEED) of which HSI Albuquerque, the New Mexico Attorney General's Office and the Albuquerque Police Department are members.

This investigation was conducted under HSI's Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 10,000 individuals for crimes against children, including producing and distributing online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking children. In fiscal year 2013, HSI agents arrested more than 2,000 individuals under this initiative.

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. 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.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.

HSI is a founding member and current chair 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.