Pennsylvania man charged with producing child pornography, online enticement of a minor and transferring obscene material to a minor

SCRANTON, Pa. — A Pottstown, Pennsylvania, man was charged with multiple child exploitation crimes following an investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and the Schuylkill County District Attorney’s Office. 

An indictment against Omar Santiago-Muniz, 27, was unsealed Tuesday. The U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District of Pennsylvania announced the charges of  producing child pornography, online enticement of a minor and transferring obscene material to a minor.

The indictment alleges that Santiago-Muniz committed the offenses between June 2017, and July 21, 2017, in Schuylkill County and elsewhere.

Santiago-Muniz, faces a maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses of life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment and a fine. There is also a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment for the production of child pornography charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment for the online enticement charge.

An indictment, information or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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 16,000 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 2016, more than 2,600 child predators were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 800 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 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.