Non-Native Resident of Pojoaque Pueblo Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

To contact us Click HERE


ALBUQUERQUE—Yesterday, the FBI arrestedJohncarlos Ortiz, 39, on a criminal complaint alleging child pornographycharges, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales. Ortiz, a resident but nota member of Pojoaque Pueblo, New Mexico, made his initial appearance in federalcourt in Albuquerque this morning. During today’s proceedings, Ortiz entered anot guilty plea and waived his right to a preliminary hearing. He was ordereddetained pending trial.
The complaint alleges that Ortizpossessed and distributed child pornography on Sept. 11, 2012, at his residencein Pojoaque Pueblo. According to the complaint, the investigation of the casewas initiated in July 2012, after the National Center for Missing &Exploited Children (NCMEC) received information that images consistent withchild pornography had been posted on a social networking site. The NCMEC sentthe tip to the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office (NMAGO). In early August2012, after determining that the images were posted using an e-mail accountsubscribed to Ortiz, the NMAGO and the New Mexico Internet Crimes AgainstChildren (ICAC) Task Force contacted the FBI. The complaint alleges that, onSeptember 11, 2012, the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Ortiz’sresidence and seized a computer and a computer flash drive that allegedlycontain images consistent with child pornography.
If convicted of the distributionoffense, Ortiz faces not less than five years and not more than 20 years ofimprisonment. If convicted of the possession offense, Ortiz faces a maximum10-year term of imprisonment.
The case was investigated by theAlbuquerque Division of the FBI, the NMAGO, the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, andthe New Mexico Regional Computer Forensics Lab, with assistance from the Bureauof Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, Northern Pueblos Agency, and thePojoaque Pueblo Tribal Police Department.
The case, which is being prosecuted byAssistant U.S. Attorney Jacob A. Wishard, was brought as part of Project SafeChildhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department ofJustice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitationand Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, andlocal resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals whoexploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visitwww.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case also was brought as part of theNM ICAC Task Force whose mission it is to locate, track, and capture Internetchild sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. Thereare 64 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies associated with thetask force, which is funded by a grant administered by the NMAGO. Anyone withinformation relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse isencouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Charges in criminal complaints are onlyaccusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guiltybeyond a reasonable doubt.