A federal jury in Baltimore convicted Jose Adan Lopez-Guevara, a Honduran citizen unlawfully present in the United States, on April 24 of sexually abusing and exploiting three minors. Lopez-Guevara, 39, was found guilty of 14 counts of sexually exploiting a child and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address child sexual exploitation. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the verdict alongside officials from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Maryland State Police, Baltimore County Police Department, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office.
According to court documents presented at trial, between 2015 and 2024 Lopez-Guevara abused children ranging from two to eleven years old. He produced images and videos depicting explicit conduct with the victims; many were later found circulating on the dark web. The investigation began in December 2024 when HSI investigators in Portland identified new videos online featuring one victim who lived in Maryland. Subsequent search warrants led to the discovery of additional material involving three minor victims as well as hundreds of images and videos stored on encrypted messaging applications.
Lopez-Guevara faces a minimum sentence of fifteen years per count for sexual exploitation charges and up to twenty years for possession charges. Sentencing is scheduled for July 28 before Judge Richard D. Bennett.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006—to combat online child exploitation through collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about this program can be found at justice.gov/psc.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland serves nearly six million residents across Maryland according to its official website. The office prosecutes federal crimes such as those involved in this case while also handling civil cases for the government according to its official website. It partners with law enforcement agencies statewide to protect public safety according to its official website, employs over two hundred personnel across divisions according to its official website, and traces its origins back to an act passed in 1789 according to its official website.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended all agencies involved as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Victoria Liu who prosecuted this case.
