Puerto Rican man indicted for allegedly exploiting 2 girls
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — On July 13, special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan and the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force (PRCACTF) arrested Edgardo Romero-Montalvo, 37, of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, in Florida. The arrest follows a federal indictment accusing him of child exploitation crimes.
The indictment alleges that from May 2023 through June 19, 2023, Romero-Montalvo used his cellphone to attempt to receive child pornography. It also alleges that he used the internet to transfer obscene material to an 11- or 12-year-old female minor and a 14-year-old female minor.
“HSI San Juan and PRCACTF special agents performed a thorough investigation that led them to follow this man to Florida to arrest him so he can now respond to authorities for these serious allegations,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Gonzalez-Ramos. “As cybercrimes against children in Puerto Rico are rising at disturbing levels, the PRCACTF is also working relentlessly to investigate and target anyone who engages in these heinous crimes.”
The charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. The charges for transfer of obscene material to minors carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
“There is no place in civilized society for those individuals who commit crimes relating to the sexual exploitation of children,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico W. Stephen Muldrow. “The U.S. attorney’s office is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute these criminals.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emelina Agrait of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting this case.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, visit HSI's iGuardians program. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969.
Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI's workforce of more than 8,700 employees is comprised of more than 6,000 special agents stationed in 237 U.S. cities and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents the largest DHS investigative law enforcement presence overseas and one of the largest in U.S. law enforcement.
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