A Guatemalan national and former Los Angeles resident, Miguel Angel Batz Jr., was extradited from Guatemala to the United States and arraigned on federal charges in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Batz, 43, also known as “Mike Batz,” faces 12 counts of production of child pornography involving five minor victims.
Batz arrived at Los Angeles International Airport after being transported from Guatemala. At his arraignment in United States District Court, he pleaded not guilty to all charges. A federal magistrate judge ordered him held without bond and set a trial date for October 7.
The indictment alleges that between 2018 and 2020, Batz enticed and coerced five children under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating visual depictions. The material was produced and transmitted using computers, cellphones, and the internet.
Batz was originally charged in Los Angeles Superior Court with contacting a minor to commit a lewd act before fleeing to Guatemala. He had legal status in the United States at the time of the alleged offenses.
According to prosecutors, "An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court."
If convicted on all counts, Batz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years per count and up to 30 years per count in federal prison.
The FBI is leading the investigation. Authorities thanked law enforcement partners including Guatemala’s National Civil Police Transnational Anti-Gang Unit, FBI Legal Attaché suboffice in Guatemala City, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their roles in securing Batz’s arrest and extradition.
Assistant United States Attorney Brandon E. Martinez-Jones is prosecuting the case.
