A 19-year-old resident of Corpus Christi, Angel Valdez, has pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The investigation into Valdez's activities began in December 2023 when he made a comment on a social media page. This comment praised an individual recently sentenced to prison in Australia for animal cruelty.
Following this, Australian law enforcement initiated undercover conversations with Valdez, during which he expressed interest in animal cruelty. This interest later led to discussions about child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In one such communication on February 14, 2024, Valdez shared a video depicting CSAM involving a prepubescent girl and an adult female.
A search warrant executed on June 28, 2024, led to the discovery of CSAM on Valdez's laptop. Valdez confessed to participating in the online exchanges and distributing CSAM. He is currently in custody and will remain so until sentencing, which is scheduled for August 12. Valdez faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a potential fine of $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and the Corpus Christi Police Department, with help from Australian authorities. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman is prosecuting the case. This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative established in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.