Repeat NM sex offender sentenced to 200 years for producing child pornography
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — A New Mexico man was sentenced Tuesday to 200 years in federal prison for producing child pornography.
Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case.
The sentence for Jim Walter Qualls Jr, 30, from Roswell, New Mexico, was enhanced based on his prior state court conviction for enticing a minor.
Qualls was arrested on child pornography charges July 31, 2014, based on a criminal complaint charging him with possessing, receiving and distributing child pornography, and enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce child pornography.
According to the criminal complaint, Qualls committed these crimes between October 2013 and February 2014 in Chaves County, New Mexico.
“Today’s sentence ensures that this predator will never have access to the most innocent among us – our children,” said Waldemar Rodriguez, special agent in charge of HSI El Paso. “This lengthy sentence is appropriate for a person who has proven his propensity to target children, and will ensure that this child predator never again harms another child, or sees the outside of a jail cell.”
Court records reflect that HSI special agents from Las Cruces executed a search warrant at Qualls’ residence. An investigation identified this residence as the location of the internet protocol address that was used to upload child pornography to the internet. During the search, HSI agents confiscated Qualls’ cellphone, which contained visual depictions of minors engaged in sexual activity.
Qualls was indicted Oct. 16, 2014, and was charged with four counts of enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. On May 7, 2015, Qualls pleaded guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney commended HSI and the Roswell Police Department for their work in this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander B. Shapiro, District of New Mexico, 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.
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