A 42-year-old resident of Laredo, Texas, Roberto Ortiz Jr., has pleaded guilty to charges of receiving and possessing child pornography. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Ortiz admitted to downloading and storing child pornography on his computer and an external hard drive. The investigation into Ortiz began on March 23, 2024, when law enforcement officials downloaded files containing child pornography from an IP address associated with him. A search warrant was executed at his residence on June 4, 2024, where he provided access to his computer and showed authorities the location of the downloaded content. This led to the discovery of images of child pornography and Ortiz's subsequent arrest.
Forensic analysis revealed over 3,000 files containing child pornography on Ortiz’s devices. Sentencing will be imposed by U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo on May 19. Ortiz could face up to 20 years in federal prison along with a potential fine of $250,000.
Ortiz remains in custody pending sentencing. The FBI conducted the investigation with help from the Laredo Child Exploitation Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine A. Cortez is prosecuting the case under Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide.