Waterbury Man Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison For Producing Child Pornography

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JESUS F. GONZALEZ, SR., 37, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 180 months of imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for producing child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, GONZALEZ had sexual intercourse with a minor female victim on several occasions between approximately February 2012 and August 2012.  On approximately August 9, 2012, GONZALEZ used his cell phone to take multiple pictures of the victim, naked, in sexually explicit positions.  GONZALEZ then maintained the pictures on his phone.  The victim was approximately 14 years old at the time the sexually explicit pictures were taken.

On February 3, 2014, GONZALEZ pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of production of child pornography.  GONZALEZ has been detained in state custody since his arrest on August 11, 2012 on related state charges.

This matter was investigated by the Waterbury Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  The Connecticut State’s Attorney’s Office in Waterbury also provided critical assistance in this investigation.

The case was being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov