Mexican man sentenced in South Texas to 7 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography

LAREDO, Texas — A Mexican man, illegally living in the United States, was sentenced Friday to seven years in federal prison for possessing child pornography.

This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in partnership with the Webb County Sheriff’s Office.

Leobel Fuentes-Piedras, 22, of Puebla, Mexico, and living illegally in the United States, was sentenced April 1 by U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen to 84 months in federal prison. Judge Kazen also sentenced Fuentes-Piedras to a 15-year-term of supervised release. Fuentes-Piedras will also be required to register as a sex offender. Fuentes-Piedras pleaded guilty to the charges Dec. 11, 2014. 

According to court documents, in May 2014, the Texas Attorney General’s Office received information from Facebook that possible child pornography was being uploaded to a Facebook account. The Internet Protocol address of the originating computer was verified and law enforcement executed a search warrant at the identified location. At that time, law enforcement seized computer devices and interviewed Fuentes-Piedras.

Fuentes-Piedras admitted uploading child pornography from his computer and iPhone to Facebook accounts so he could access them from anywhere. Forensics analysis ultimately identified 54 shared files that were consistent with child pornography.

Fuentes-Piedras will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. As a convicted criminal alien, he will be processed for removal to Mexico after he completes his prison sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Coker, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.

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 14,000 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 2015, nearly 2,400 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.