School disk jockey sentenced to 40 years for sexually exploiting minors

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — As a result of a joint probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations and the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force (PRCACTF), a former disc jockey for area high school parties was sentenced to serve 40 years in prison Aug. 28 in the District of Puerto Rico for producing child pornography.

Eduardo Santiago-Rivera, 45, pleaded guilty Jan. 13, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Velez-Rive in the District of Puerto Rico to nine counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. He was charged by superseding indictment May 13.

According to court records, Santiago-Rivera was a disc jockey who met his victims at area high school parties and on various social networking sites. Santiago-Rivera admitted that in June and July 2012, he induced, persuaded, enticed and coerced at least three minors, who ranged in age from 12 to 15, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating video images. Santiago-Rivera used "ooVoo," an Internet-based video chat program, to direct and coerce the minors to undress and to engage in various acts of sexually explicit conduct, including masturbation and the lascivious exhibition of their genitals. He also recorded himself engaging in sexual acts with one of the minors.

In June 2011, the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force (PRCACTF) was created by HSI San Juan to respond to the need for an island-wide approach to fighting the escalating number of predatory crimes against children. The task force is a partnership between HSI San Juan and members of local, state and federal law enforcement, as well as local and state government officials and community leaders.

Through PRCACTF, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies work together with local and state government agencies to effectively pool their resources to jointly investigate all crimes against children in Puerto Rico. Through the task force, law enforcement officers are encouraged to share evidence, ideas, and investigative and forensic tools to ensure the most successful prosecutions possible. As such, PRCACTF allows law enforcement to speak with a unified voice in defense of the children of Puerto Rico.

The task force and its investigations are 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.