TAMPA, Fla. — A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa investigation led to a 27-year prison sentence for distributing, receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Jesse James Bertetto, 30, of Webster, was also ordered to register as a sex offender and pay $74,500 in restitution after a federal jury found him guilty on April 12, 2023.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in December 2020, Bertetto possessed child sexual abuse material on his cellphone, including images and videos of minors under the age of 12. The web history on his cellphone revealed that he had searched for child sexual abuse material and had visited websites known to law enforcement as frequently containing them.
In January 2022, Bertetto possessed images and videos of children on another cellphone, including young children being sexually abused. He also actively traded videos of child sexual abuse material over a social media platform in January 2022.
“Jesse Bertetto perpetuated the abhorrent behavior of sexually exploiting children online, contributing to the severe psychological damage these children will endure the rest of their life,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “Alongside partners like the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, our investigators are dedicated to removing this vile content from the dark web and holding these predators accountable for their actions.”
This case was investigated by HSI Tampa and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilyssa Spergel.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. attorneys' offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.