A Sioux City man, Uriah Jordan Buffalo Chief-Torrez, II, was sentenced to over seven years in federal prison on May 15, 2025. The 36-year-old pleaded guilty on January 21, 2025, to charges of receipt and possession of child pornography.
Evidence presented at the sentencing revealed that Buffalo Chief-Torrez had been in possession of child pornography. In September and October 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children submitted six CyberTip reports from Synchronoss to law enforcement. These reports indicated that Buffalo Chief-Torrez uploaded approximately 56 files containing child sexual abuse material. During an interview with law enforcement, he admitted that individuals on various social media platforms attempted to show and sell him child pornography. He acknowledged purchasing "CP" for $65 via Telegram and admitted viewing 15 or 16 videos of such content. Additionally, he confessed to downloading child pornography on nine occasions and streaming it on social media. A forensic analysis of his phone revealed the presence of 24 images and 56 videos depicting sadistic or masochistic conduct or the sexual exploitation of infants and toddlers.
The sentence was handed down by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand in Sioux City. Buffalo Chief-Torrez received a sentence of 90 months' imprisonment and was ordered to pay $4,200 in restitution and assessments. Following his prison term, he will serve a five-year supervised release period; parole is not available in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. This program coordinates efforts among federal, state, and local resources to locate offenders who exploit children sexually while identifying and rescuing victims.
Buffalo Chief-Torrez remains in custody under the United States Marshal's supervision until his transfer to a federal prison.