A 31-year-old man from Laredo, Texas, has been sentenced for sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual assault material (CSAM). U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced that Kristopher Santos received a sentence of 360 months for sexual exploitation and 240 months for possession of child pornography. These sentences will run concurrently, totaling a 360-month imprisonment.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal handed down the sentence after hearing additional information about the case's history and the extensive collection of child pornography Santos possessed. The court emphasized the severity of his actions in producing CSAM and the large volume of images he had.
Santos was also ordered to pay $126,000 in restitution to the victims and will serve 10 years on supervised release after completing his prison term. During this period, he must adhere to several requirements restricting his access to children and the internet. Additionally, he is required to register as a sex offender.
“This defendant is a textbook child predator,” stated Hamdani. “He is the reason parents lose sleep at night, wondering if their kids are safe when not with them.”
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee remarked on the sentencing: "Today's sentencing marks a significant victory in our relentless pursuit of justice for the innocent victims of child exploitation."
Authorities identified Santos in 2019 during an undercover investigation into peer-to-peer networks where it was revealed that Santos was sharing CSAM online. A search warrant executed on April 12, 2019, led law enforcement to discover several electronic devices containing CSAM along with a trunk full of sex toys and children's underwear.
Santos admitted to being sexually attracted to children, viewing child pornography, possessing the trunk's contents, touching two minor relatives inappropriately, and taking inappropriate pictures of them.
In total, authorities identified 47,729 images and 7,667 videos containing child pornography on seized devices. Santos will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation was conducted by HSI with assistance from Webb County Sheriff's office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood (PSC), an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse.
For more information about PSC or internet safety education resources provided by DOJ’s PSC page can be visited online.