LAREDO, Texas - Daniel Frias Gomez, 22, a legal permanent resident born and raised in Jalisco, Mexico, has entered a guilty plea to possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Gomez was apprehended on Sept. 27, 2013, as he applied for admission back into the United States via the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge, Port of Entry No. 2, in Laredo as a passenger onboard a commercial bus. During the course of inspection, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered multiple electronic devices, including DVDs and memory cards.
Gomez, who had been residing with his immediate family in Iowa, claimed ownership of those devices. A search was conducted and approximately 200 child pornographic images and videos were discovered. Some of the images included variations of pornography, including some involving bestiality.
Gomez made claims that he was approached by an “unknown" male, who offered him pornographic images because he had a PSP device. He ultimately decided to plead guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana will set a sentencing date at a later time. At the time of that hearing, Gomez faces up to 10 years in federal prison. He also faces a potential fine of $250,000 and up to life on supervised release during which the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect children and prohibit the use of the Internet. Gomez will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations and CBP investigated.
This case, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Suntrease Williams, was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
