Puerto Rican man to serve 17 years for possession of child pornography
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — An Aguada man charged with possession of child pornography was sentenced to 17 years followed by a period of 10 years of supervised release Thursday for possession of child pornography. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of the Puerto Rico Crimes against Children Task Force (PRCACTF), conducted the investigation that culminated with the sentencing.
On Oct. 30, 2014, HSI special agents received information from Puerto Rico Police Department’s (PRPD) Arecibo Sexual Crimes Division regarding Edgar E. Nieves-Hernandez, 40. According to the information, Nieves-Hernandez was in possession of sexually explicit images of a child 6 years old. He was arrested by HSI special agents the same day after a forensic analysis of his tablet, seized by PRPD Sept. 15, 2014, revealed more than 700 images depicting child pornography.
“This is the second man this week to be sentenced to more than 17 years for child exploitation-related charges,” said Angel M. Melendez, special agent in charge of HSI San Juan. “This sentence should send a clear and strong message that HSI and as its local, state and federal partners will not tolerate the exploitation of our children. It may take a while, but you will be arrested and brought to justice.”
In June 2011, in response to the need for an island-wide approach to fighting the escalation of predatory crimes against children, HSI San Juan formed the Puerto Rico Crimes against Children Task Force (PRCACTF).
Through PRCACTF, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies work together with local and state government agencies to effectively pool their resources and jointly investigate all crimes against children in Puerto Rico. Through the task force, law enforcement officers are able to share ideas, leads and evidence, as well as investigative and forensic tools to ensure the most successful prosecutions possible. As such, PRCACTF allows law enforcement to speak with one unified voice in defense of the children of Puerto Rico.
The investigation is part of 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 the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of 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.
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