North Texas man sentenced to 17 ½ years in federal prison for producing child pornography

LUBBOCK, Texas — A North Texas man was sentenced Friday to 17 ½ years in federal prison following his guilty plea in August to one count of producing child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings remanded Jose Francisco Madrigal Jr., 43, of Plainview, Texas, into custody; he had been released on bond.

This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas. This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Plainview Police Department.

In October 2012, according to plea documents filed in this case, Madrigal aimed a digital camera through a hole in a bathroom wall to take sexually explicit videos of a girl while she took a shower.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy 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 10,000 individuals for crimes against children, including producing and distributing online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking 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.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy, Northern District of Texas, prosecuted.