Wenatchee, Washington Man Sentenced to Over 17 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography

Wenatchee, Washington Man Sentenced to Over 17 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography Spokane – Today, Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Jose A. Mendoza, age 32, of Wenatchee, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to two counts of production of child pornography on June 30, 2021. Senior United States District Judge Rosanna M. Peterson sentenced Mendoza to a 210-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison.

According to court documents, the Wenatchee Police Department executed a warrant to search Mendoza’s residence and seized numerous electronic devices that contained images of child pornography. Upon further review, Mendoza was found to have produced images of himself engaged in sexually exploitative conduct with female children.

United States Attorney Waldref said, “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, in collaboration with its federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners, uses every resource and tool available to investigate and prosecute aggressively those involved in child exploitation. This Office will continue to do all we can to protect vulnerable child victims of these horrible crimes.”

This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:

· Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;

· Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;

· Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;

· Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and

· Community awareness and educational programs.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Wenatchee Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Michael J. Ellis, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.