Alamdar Hamdani U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A Laredo resident has entered a guilty plea for charges related to child pornography, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Roberto Ortiz Jr., aged 42, admitted in court to downloading and possessing illicit materials on both his computer and an external hard drive.
The investigation commenced on March 23, 2024, when law enforcement officials downloaded files containing child pornography from an IP address traced back to Ortiz. A search warrant was executed at his home on June 4, 2024. During the search, Ortiz provided access to his devices and disclosed where he had stored the downloaded content. Authorities discovered images of child pornography and arrested him.
Subsequent forensic analysis revealed over 3,000 files of child pornography were stored on Ortiz's devices.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 19 before U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo. Ortiz could face up to two decades in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Ortiz remains in custody awaiting sentencing.
The FBI conducted the investigation with support from the Laredo Child Exploitation Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine A. Cortez under Project Safe Childhood (PSC). This Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 focuses on combating child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating resources across various levels of government to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
For more information about PSC or internet safety education, visit the DOJ’s PSC page or check the resources tab available there.
