A man and woman from South Texas have been sentenced to lengthy federal prison terms for producing child sexual abuse material involving a seven-year-old victim. Luis Alberto Huerta, 44, of Weslaco, and Jessica Gutierrez, 47, of Donna, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to charges related to the production of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton sentenced Huerta to 360 months (30 years) and Gutierrez to 336 months (28 years) in prison. The court heard details about how the pair forced the victim to participate in acts that were recorded over a period of three years, beginning when the child was only seven years old. After serving their sentences, both will be on supervised release for life with restrictions on their access to children and the internet. They will also be required to register as sex offenders.
The investigation began in 2023 and uncovered evidence on electronic devices belonging to Huerta and Gutierrez that included photos and videos documenting the abuse.
“Huerta and Gutierrez committed an unspeakable offense and thus have earned every day of the multi-decade sentences,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “No sentence can undo the damage done to the victim in this case, but hopefully the defendants’ prosecution and sentences will deter others from engaging in the same vile conduct.”
"For years, these two defendants inflicted unimaginable harm on one of the most vulnerable members of our community," said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. "We commend the Edinburg Police Department (EPD) for their outstanding work and critical partnership in this joint investigation. Together, we ensured these child predators were stopped and held accountable for their heinous crimes."
Huerta and Gutierrez remain in custody pending transfer to a facility within the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The case was investigated by the FBI San Antonio Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force along with EPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia prosecuted the case under Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about PSC is available at DOJ’s PSC page; resources on internet safety education are also provided there.
