A Texas woman was sentenced on Mar. 23 to 25 years in federal prison for conspiring to sexually abuse a child outside the United States, according to U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland.
The sentencing underscores ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children across international borders.
U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson handed down the sentence to Anika Bywater, age 29 and formerly of Gonzalez, Texas. Bywater will also serve 20 years of supervised release after her prison term. She had pleaded guilty in December 2025 to conspiracy charges related to illicit sexual conduct in foreign places.
According to court documents and statements made during sentencing, Bywater and another individual created two videos showing themselves sexually abusing a young child while living in Veracruz, Mexico. Law enforcement discovered these videos after they began circulating online.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The program brings together resources from federal, state, and local agencies both to prosecute offenders and identify victims.
Hayes commended the FBI Child Exploitation Operational Unit as well as FBI offices in Mexico City and Washington for their assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema Sood and Acting Deputy Chief Kyle P. Reynolds from the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case.
