Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Nathaniel Ray Diaz, aged 21 from Greenfield, has been arraigned following a federal grand jury's three-count indictment, charging him with the sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted receipt of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and obstruction of justice. Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith made the announcement.
Court documents reveal that Diaz was serving a sentence in Avenal State Prison, Kings County, for lewd acts against a 12-year-old and making criminal threats involving a gun. Between July 5, 2024, and November 25, 2024, despite a 10-year no-contact order for a minor, Diaz used various communication tools, including prison phones and a CDCR-issued tablet, to contact the victim. During this period, he repeatedly instructed the minor to generate and send images depicting sexually explicit conduct. Moreover, upon realizing that law enforcement had been alerted, he reportedly directed others to erase the evidence.
The investigation into Diaz's actions was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Special Service Unit, and the Salinas Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower from the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
If convicted, Diaz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison and a maximum penalty of up to 50 years in prison, along with a potential fine of $250,000 for the charge of sexual exploitation of a child. For the attempted receipt of illicit visual representations, there is a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a potential maximum of 40 years in prison with an additional fine possibility of $250,000. For obstruction of justice, the penalty could reach up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing would be determined by the court, taking into account statutory factors and Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The charges remain allegations until proved otherwise.
This case aligns with Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative started in May 2006 to tackle child sexual exploitation. The project involves federal, state, and local efforts to prosecute offenders and rescue victims of child sexual exploitation. More details about the project can be accessed at www.usdoj.gov/psc under the "resources" tab.
