ICE arrests Toa Baja man for advertising, receiving, distributing child pornography
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents arrested Wednesday in Toa Baja a man for advertising, receiving and distributing child pornography.
HSI special agents arrested Jaime Emmanuel Cano-Olmeda, 27, of Toa Baja, following an investigation that stemmed from a forensic analysis of a smartphone seized during the execution of a state search warrant in the residence of a New Jersey man on Jan. 13. A search of the device revealed the presence of a chat between the owner of the telephone and a man later identified as Cano-Olmeda.
On July 18, HSI special agents executed a federal search warrant at Cano-Olmeda’s residence and seized several electronic devices. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint that charges Cano-Olmeda with receipt and distribution of child pornography, the forensic analysis of the devices seized during the execution of the search warrant at his residence revealed the presence of more than 1,400 images depicting what appeared to be child pornography. The analysis also revealed 52 chat conversations in which Cano-Olmeda advertised, received and distributed child pornography images to include explicit conversations about violent, gruesome details of murder, mutilation and dismemberment of children.
“The sexually explicit images depicting graphic scenes of mutilated bodies of children shared over the Internet are simply atrocious,” said Janice Ayala, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Juan. “No crime affects us more deeply than the exploitation of innocent children. We will continue working with our federal, state and local partners to identify, arrest and prosecute those who, in the most cruel manner, steal the innocence of our children.”
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Cristina Caraballo-Colón is prosecuting the case.
Cano-Olmeda had his initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos Lopez on Wednesday. He was transferred to the Guaynabo Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting the outcome of his case. His preliminary and detention hearings were set for Aug. 7 at 3:30 p.m.
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.
Updated: