A Washington, D.C. man has been charged with distributing child pornography, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. The complaint, unsealed today, names Angel Anthony Rios, 29, as the defendant.
“Those who exploit children will find no refuge,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office will pursue swift and decisive prosecution of anyone involved in the creation, possession, or distribution of child sexual abuse material.”
Court documents state that beginning on December 18, 2025, Rios exchanged messages with another user on X discussing various topics including politics. During these exchanges, Rios expressed a sexual interest in children and claimed to have communicated with the father of a three-year-old boy who sent him videos depicting the child's sexual abuse. Rios is accused of distributing five videos showing this abuse and made statements such as “Kids are here to be used.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in making the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Janani Iyengar.
This matter falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative started in February 2006 to protect children from online exploitation and abuse by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to apprehend offenders and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
It is important to note that charges in a complaint are allegations only; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
