A Mexican national has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for possession of child pornography, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Apolonio Sanchez-Martinez, a 35-year-old resident of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, pleaded guilty on September 18, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera handed down a 97-month prison sentence and ordered Sanchez-Martinez to pay $160,000 in restitution to known victims. Following his imprisonment, he will serve 15 years on supervised release with restrictions on his access to children and the internet. He is also required to register as a sex offender.
The case dates back to August 12, 2023, when Sanchez-Martinez attempted entry into the United States via the Brownsville Gateway Port of Entry. A secondary inspection led authorities to find a cell phone containing forensic evidence of 1,405 videos and 152 images classified as child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
“There is zero tolerance for child sex abuse material in the United States," stated Ganjei. "The Southern District of Texas will do everything we can to not only apprehend and punish producers of such images and videos but also the consumers."
Sanchez-Martinez remains in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case under Project Safe Childhood (PSC), an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse.
