A Mineola resident, Fransisco Gonzalez, also known as Kiko Gonzalez, has been sentenced to 55 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on June 23, 2025, following Gonzalez's guilty plea to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
Court records reveal that Gonzalez exploited a minor female victim over several months. Under the pretense of taking her to church, he isolated her from her family and used her to produce sexually explicit images and videos. He later distributed some of these images to others.
“Fransisco Gonzalez is on his way to prison where he will serve a very long sentence,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. “For his crimes, he deserves every day of that lengthy term. I commend the efforts of the team that brought this defendant to justice. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stands committed to seeking justice for victims and to defending the defenseless.”
The case falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), which coordinate resources across federal, state, and local levels to locate and prosecute offenders while rescuing victims.
The investigation was conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations Division, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and Lucas Machicek.
