Alamdar Hamdani U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A Mexican citizen residing illegally in Palmview, Texas, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) involving a family member. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the sentencing of 35-year-old Jesus Adrian Barraza-Vega, who pleaded guilty on October 9, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton ordered Barraza-Vega to pay $3,000 in restitution to a known victim and imposed fines totaling $60,000. During the hearing, the minor victim was present with her family and provided a letter detailing the harm caused by Barraza-Vega's actions. The court learned that his abuse continued until just days before law enforcement intervened.
"Our sincere hope is that the children who Barraza-Vega victimized can now have some measure of peace," stated Ganjei. He emphasized that crimes against children in the Southern District of Texas will be prosecuted vigorously and warned potential abusers about severe consequences.
Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp from the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office commented on the case: "Children deserve to be safe. Whether online or in their own homes, we all have a duty to protect those most vulnerable to exploitation." He added that the FBI is committed to bringing predators to justice and hopes this sentence provides closure for victims and their families.
The investigation began on July 3, 2023, when New York authorities discovered inappropriate images being sent to an eight-year-old minor. The investigation revealed that the minor had sent sexually explicit videos of herself via TextNow and WhatsApp to an individual pretending to be a 13-year-old male. This individual requested sexual acts from the minor.
Law enforcement traced IP addresses linked to these communications back to locations where Barraza-Vega had lived, including his current residence in Palmview. In an interview with authorities, Barraza-Vega confirmed using TextNow and WhatsApp accounts associated with these activities.
In February 2024, a federal search warrant led to the seizure of a cellphone belonging to Barraza-Vega. Forensic analysis uncovered CSAM featuring videos and images of him engaging in sexual acts with a minor relative between November 11, 2020, and January 18, 2024.
The FBI conducted this investigation with assistance from Border Patrol and police departments in Mission and Palmview. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell is prosecuting under Project Safe Childhood (PSC), an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide.
