Dallas man sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for producing child pornography involving prepubescent minor

DALLAS – A Dallas man was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in federal prison following his guilty plea in November 2013 to producing and possessing prepubescent child pornography.

This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Specifically, U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade sentenced Ulises Sandoval, 27, to 300 months on the production conviction, and 240 months on the possession conviction; the sentences will run concurrently.

According to the factual resume filed in the case, HSI special agents received information that a person, later identified as Sandoval, was trading images of child pornography via email. They executed a search warrant at his home Sept. 25, 2013, and arrested him.

Sandoval admitted using his email address to join a website to trade images and videos of child pornography. He also admitted using email to meet individuals with a similar interest in child pornography to trade child pornography with them. He admitted taking photographs of "Jane Doe," who was less than 7 years old at the time, while he engaged in sexually explicit conduct with her; he then shared those images with others.

Forensic analysis of Sandoval’s laptop computer located images of child pornography. Sandoval admitted that he had more than 2500 child pornography images and videos on his hard drive. Some of those images and videos depicted sadistic and or violent conduct; 21 of the files depicted infants and toddlers.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks, Northern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.

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 the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2013, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents 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.