Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A man from Hidalgo County has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced that 24-year-old Jacob Ryan Arredondo from McAllen pled guilty to the charges on November 27, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton sentenced Arredondo to 360 months in prison for the crime, which involved exploiting a relationship with a minor to commit sexual abuse. The victim reportedly kept the abuse a secret for two years due to fear and the nature of their relationship. Upon release from prison, Arredondo will serve 15 years of supervised release, with conditions restricting his access to children and the internet. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
“The defendant’s heinous conduct will undoubtedly leave a lasting scar on his victim, and so it’s only fitting that he received the 30-year sentence he did,” said Ganjei. “Arredondo won’t be able to exploit children from behind bars, and he’ll have a good, long time to think about the consequences of his actions.”
Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mark Lippa from Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) commented, “This sentence marks a significant step in our ongoing efforts to protect young people from harm, and we will continue to pursue those who engage in these harmful activities.”
The case came to the attention of authorities through a referral from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in August 2023, identifying a Google account that uploaded child sexual abuse material. Through investigation, the victim's identity was revealed, and Arredondo admitted to both the abuse and recording it on his cell phone. A search of his phone uncovered 234 images and seven videos of the victim, with the abuse spanning two years starting when the victim was ten.
Arredondo remains in custody, awaiting transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be finalized. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), an initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, coordinated by the Department of Justice since May 2006. For more information about the Project Safe Childhood and internet safety education, resources are available on the Department of Justice’s PSC page.
