Former San Diego-area substitute teacher sentenced to 7 years in prison for child pornography

SAN DIEGO — A former substitute teacher was sentenced Monday to seven years in federal prison after admitting he received sexually explicit images and videos of young children.

Alejandro Castillo, Jr., 36, of Chula Vista, was arrested on a federal child pornography charge in April 2015 by agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Castillo pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography in September 2015. 

During Monday's sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Michael M. Anello described the case as particularly egregious because Castillo was in a position of trust with children and had been communicating about sexual conduct over the Internet with minors for a long time.

As part of an undercover probe, HSI agents executed a federal search warrant at Castillo's Chula Vista residence in April. He was taken into custody after investigators discovered a significant number of images and videos on his home computer of young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct with adults, including images showing bondage and degradation.  

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 2,300 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

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. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196. 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.