Wood County man sentenced to 55 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations

TYLER, Texas – A Mineola man has been sentenced to 55 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Fransisco Gonzalez, also known as Kiko Gonzalez, 29, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and was sentenced to 660 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on June 23, 2025.

According to information presented in court, over the course of several months, Gonzalez sexually exploited a minor female victim.  Under the guise of taking her to church, he isolated her from her family, then used her to produce sexually explicit images and videos.  Later, he distributed several of the images to others.

“Fransisco Gonzalez is on his way to prison where he will serve a very long sentence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.  “For his crimes, he deserves every day of that lengthy term.  I commend the efforts of the team that brought this defendant to justice.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office stands committed to seeking justice for victims and to defending the defenseless.”

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.           

This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and Lucas Machicek.

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