Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Ricardo Gutierrez, a 28-year-old resident of Red Bluff, has pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child. This announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.
Court documents reveal that in April 2024, Gutierrez used four prepubescent children, including a toddler, to produce two videos showing the children in sexually explicit conduct. He recorded himself and the victims through Facebook Messenger.
The investigation began after a woman he met on Tinder contacted law enforcement. Gutierrez had sent her an unsolicited photo of a clothed minor female along with emojis and made comments about needing a young girl. He also sent her an unsolicited video showing an adult male engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a minor.
Between November 2023 and July 2024, Gutierrez distributed several images and videos of child sexual abuse via Telegram, WhatsApp, and iMessage. His phone contained over 4,800 files depicting the sexual abuse of children.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitnee Goins.
Gutierrez is scheduled for sentencing on September 12, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins. He faces up to 30 years in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, along with supervised release for life, restitution, and a $250,000 fine. The final sentence will be determined by the court based on statutory factors and Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. More information can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc under the "resources" tab.
