Date: 04-27-2021

Case Style:

Case Number: 4:19-cr-00780-DC

Judge: David Counts

Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (Alpine county)

Plaintiff's Attorney: United States District Attorney’s Office

Defendant's Attorney:

Criminal Defense Lawyer Directory

Description: Pecos, Texas criminal defense lawyer represented defendant who was charged with production, transportation, and possession of child pornography.

Alvaro Castillo, Jr., 64, of Englewood, who was charged with three counts of production of child pornography; one count of attempted production of child pornography; one count of transportation of child pornography; and one count of possession of child pornography on Nov. 18, 2020.

According to trial evidence, in May 2018, Castillo traveled to his native country of Guatemala, and videorecorded himself sexually abusing a 13-year-old victim who was sleeping. Evidence from that video identified Castillo as the abuser. In addition to this videorecording, Castillo also possessed and transported additional images of child sexual abuse. Law enforcement agents discovered the child pornography evidence during an October 2019 search of a recreational vehicle that he was driving at the U.S. – Mexico border.

“Alvaro Castillo recorded himself committing unspeakable crimes against a defenseless child in a foreign country,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The department is committed to identifying and prosecuting transnational offenders like Alvaro Castillo, and today’s sentence will protect children in Guatemala and the United States from such predatory behavior.”

“Child victimization is a crime that knows no borders and HSI, as a global investigative agency, is committed to working with its domestic and international partners to stop these criminals from exploiting innocent children anywhere in the world,” said Special Agent in Charge Erik P. Breitzke for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso. “We may not be able to undo the damage done, but sentences such as today’s serve to hold child predators accountable and, we hope, help the victims heal.”

In addition to the prison sentence, Castillo was ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and pay $33,586.89 in restitution.

HSI investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Trial Attorney Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Cannizzaro of the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

18:2251A.F---SELLING OR BUYING OF CHILDREN
(1)
18:2251.F SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN
(1s-4s)
18:2251.F SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN
(1ss-4ss)
18:2252A.F---ACTIVITIES RE MATERIAL CONSTITUTING/CONTAINING CHILD PORNO
(2)
18:2252.F SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF MINORS
(5s-6s)
18:2252.F SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF MINORS
(5ss-6ss)

Outcome: Defendant was found guilty by a jury.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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