Southeast Texas man pleads guilty to producing child pornography

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Southeast Texas man pleaded guilty Tuesday to producing child pornography.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Texas, announced this guilty plea. This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Law enforcement learned that Jesus Villalobos, 31, from Corpus Christi, had been communicating via cellphone text messages and a social media application with an 11-year-old girl in February. During those communications, Villalobos enticed the victim into sending him sexually explicit photographs of herself.

In April, a search warrant was executed at Villalobos residence, where various electronic devices were seized. A forensic analysis conducted on the devices led to the discovery of several photographs of the child that were sexually explicit in nature. U.S. District Judge Hayden Head accepted the guilty plea Sept. 27.

Sentencing is set for Dec. 13. Villalobos faces a minimum of 15 and up to 30 years in federal prison, and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Upon completion of any prison term imposed, Villalobos also faces a maximum of life on supervised release during which time the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect children and prohibit the use of the internet.

Villalobos was arrested on federal charges in July 2016 and has been in custody since that time where he will remain pending his sentencing hearing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo Martinez, Southern District of Texas, 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 12,000 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 2014, 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.