Alamdar Hamdani U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A Corpus Christi man has pleaded guilty to producing child sexual abuse material, as announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Valentine Cancino, 34, admitted to the charge of sexual exploitation of a child following an investigation prompted by cyber-tips indicating that child pornography had been uploaded online.
Authorities identified Cancino as the source of the content after receiving multiple alerts. A search warrant was executed at his residence on January 30, 2024, leading to the seizure of two electronic devices. Among these was a Samsung Galaxy cell phone containing a video recording of Cancino engaging in sexual activity with a minor relative.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 4 under U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos. Cancino faces up to 30 years in prison and a possible fine of $250,000. He remains in custody pending sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman is prosecuting the case under Project Safe Childhood (PSC). This nationwide initiative, launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006, aims to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating federal, state, and local resources.
For further details about PSC and internet safety education, interested parties are encouraged to visit the DOJ’s PSC page.
