ICE arrests Bayamon area man on sexual child exploitation charges
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A Bayamon resident was arrested Thursday for allegedly producing child pornography and sexually enticing a minor. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation the spurred the arrest.
HSI special agents arrested Manuel Fernandez-Gonzalez, 19, at the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport when he was about to board a plane to the Dominican Republic. The arrest took placed without incident.
On July 29, Fernandez-Gonzalez was charged on a two-count criminal complaint with production of child pornography and sexual enticement of a minor. According to the charging document, in May 2015 HSI received information from the Puerto Rico Police Department’s Cyber Crimes Unit regarding Fernandez-Gonzalez. According to the information, the defendant allegedly requested sexually explicit images and videos of a 13-year-old female identified as Jane Doe. The complaint also alleges that he threatened Jane Doe if she did not comply with his requests.
HSI conducted a forensic analysis of Fernandez-Gonzalez’s and Jane Doe’s cellular telephones which revealed the exchange of sexually explicit images and videos, as well as sexually explicit conversations between the defendant and Jane Doe.
“Adults who target children for sexual exploitation, regardless of their age, should also consider themselves a target by HSI and by our law enforcement partners,” said Ricardo Mayoral, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Juan. “Child exploitation, in all its forms, is a very serious crime and its investigation is a priority for HSI. One would think that with 188 child exploitation-related arrests since 2010, for a 230 percent increase in these types of cases, predators are getting the message. Unfortunately, despite our efforts to eradicate this heinous crime, there are criminals in the cyberspace stalking our children with the sole purpose of exploiting them. Parents, beware, you are the first line of defense. The supervision of your children’s cyber habits may prevent your child from falling prey of an online predator.”
Fernandez-Gonzalez had his initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Jude Bruce McGiverin on Thursday. He was transferred to the Guaynabo Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting the outcome of his case.
In June 2011, in response to the need for an island-wide approach to fighting the escalation of predatory crimes against children, HSI San Juan formed the Puerto Rico Crimes against Children Task Force (PRCACTF).
Through PRCACTF, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies work together with local and state government agencies to effectively pool their resources and jointly investigate all crimes against children in Puerto Rico. Through the task force, law enforcement officers are able to share ideas, leads and evidence, as well as investigative and forensic tools to ensure the most successful prosecutions possible. As such, PRCACTF allows law enforcement to speak with one unified voice in defense of the children of Puerto Rico.
The investigation is part of 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.
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