Fajardo area man arrested for child pornography

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A Fajardo man was arrested Friday for receipt of child pornography following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) probe that revealed the subject received videos depicting child pornography over the Internet.

HSI special agents arrested Hector Antonio Suarez-Rodriguez, 49, after a referral from the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit led to an investigation that revealed that child pornography was shared on numerous occasions through a peer-to-peer file sharing application, utilizing an IP address that was later traced to Suarez-Rodriguez.

On Dec. 19, HSI special agents executed a search warrant at Suarez-Rodriguez's residence and seized digital media items, including hard drives. A preliminary forensic examination of the material seized yielded positive results for child pornography.

According to the criminal complaint, a computer IP address assigned to Mr. Suarez-Rodriguez' residence was used to download files containing child pornography utilizing a peer to peer program called Ares. The charging document further alleges that Suarez-Rodriguez admitted having observed and downloaded videos of child pornography. 

Assistant United States Attorney Elba Gorbea is in charge of the prosecution of this case. Suarez-Rodriguez had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce J. McGiverin Friday. He was transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo awaiting a detention hearing set for Dec. 24 at 11a.m.

In response to the need for an island-wide approach to fight predatory crimes against children, HSI San Juan partnered with members of local, state and federal law enforcement, as well as local and state government officials and community leaders, to form the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force (PRCACTF) in June 2011.

Through PRCACTF local, state and federal law enforcement agencies work together with local and state government agencies to effectively pool their resources to investigate all crimes against children in Puerto Rico. Law enforcement officers share evidence, ideas and investigative and forensic tools to ensure the most successful prosecutions possible. As such, the task force allows law enforcement to speak with one unified voice in defense of the children of Puerto Rico.

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 12,000 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 2014, 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.