A former acting school teacher in New York City has been arrested and charged with the distribution and possession of child pornography. The arrest was announced by Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge at the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The accused, Samuel Gonzalez, is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses later today.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton emphasized the seriousness of the charges, stating: "As alleged, Samuel Gonzalez distributed a large volume of child pornography, including images of sexual abuse of children as young as a few months old. The lasting scars from the horrific abuse of children are deeply troubling to all New Yorkers. Together with our partners, we will relentlessly pursue those who victimize children and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law."
Christopher G. Raia of the FBI noted the scope of Gonzalez's alleged activities: "Samuel Gonzalez allegedly distributed thousands of pornographic images of infants and minors to an undercover federal agent over a brief period. Gonzalez’s alleged actions grossly disregarded the victims’ welfare and repeatedly violated their privacy by sharing this twisted material. The FBI is deeply committed to preventing crimes against children and will continue to apprehend any individual who supplies these explicit images."
According to the complaint, the offenses took place between January 2023 and April 2023. Gonzalez is accused of using an online messaging application to send links to over 1,500 files of child pornography to a federal law enforcement agent. A search warrant executed in June 2023 led to the seizure of Gonzalez's phone and laptop, which reportedly contained over 80 unique files of child pornography involving infants and prepubescent children.
Gonzalez, 31, from Brooklyn, New York, faces one count of distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years. He is also charged with possession of child pornography, which carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years.
Jay Clayton praised the investigative work of the FBI alongside the FBI/New York City Police Department Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The case is managed by the Office’s General Crimes Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Cheng and Diarra M. Guthrie leading the prosecution.
It is important to note that the charges outlined in the complaint are allegations and Samuel Gonzalez is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
