A Chicago man has been sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting children and receiving child sexual abuse material from at least 14 minors he contacted through social media.
According to federal prosecutors, Armando Torres, 35, used applications such as Snapchat and Instagram during 2019 and 2020 to communicate with young girls, most of whom were under the age of ten. Torres reportedly pretended to be a child online, adopting screennames that would appeal to his victims. He then instructed the children on how to create and send sexually explicit images and videos.
Torres pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges related to exploitation and child pornography. On August 11, 2025, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger imposed the sentence.
The announcement was made by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“Children are the most vulnerable members of our community,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Walgamuth argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Their innocence and trust in others make them defenseless to predators like Torres, who easily manipulated them online. Torres’s sexualization of the victims deprived them of their childhood and inflicted significant trauma on them, as well as their families, that will continue to impact them long after the experience is over.”
This prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide effort aimed at combating child sexual exploitation by coordinating resources across federal, state, and local agencies to identify offenders and support victims.
Individuals who believe they are victims of sexual exploitation can reach out for help at https://www.missingkids.org/ or call 1-800-843-5678; assistance is available around the clock.
