Marlon Jefferson Fajardo-Paiz, a 33-year-old Guatemalan national, has pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and illegally re-entering the United States after being deported. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
Fajardo-Paiz could face up to 20 years in prison for the CSAM charge and an additional two years for illegal re-entry. He remains in custody while his case is pending.
Court documents state that Fajardo-Paiz was previously removed from the U.S. on July 20, 2018, and had not obtained permission from either the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to return. On April 24, 2025, he was interviewed by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office during an investigation triggered by a Cybertip related to CSAM uploads. During questioning, Fajardo-Paiz admitted to viewing, downloading, and transmitting CSAM. A search of his phone uncovered at least 20 items containing such material.
The investigation was conducted by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg is prosecuting the case.
"This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse," according to information provided in connection with the prosecution. "Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims." More details about this program can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
