Antonio Felipe Belda, a 39-year-old former pediatrician from Ontario, Canada, has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles. United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced the conviction, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and potentially a lifetime of supervised release with sex offender registration requirements. As a Canadian citizen, Belda may face removal or deportation from the United States after serving his sentence.
During the plea proceedings, it was revealed that Belda used internet-based accounts and mobile applications to acquire child pornography. He stored approximately 171 videos and 3,034 images on various electronic devices, some depicting sexual assaults on children as young as eight years old.
The investigation involved several agencies: the United States Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations unit, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution team includes Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner—who also serves as Deputy Criminal Chief—First Assistant United States Attorney April Leon Johnson, and Trial Attorney Adam William Braskich from the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project coordinates federal, state, and local resources to apprehend individuals exploiting children online and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.