Daytona Beach Man Sentenced To 5 ½ Years For Possession Of Child Pornography

Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Carlos Manuel Cruz (40, Daytona Beach) to five years and six months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.  Cruz pleaded guilty on April 15, 2013.

According to court documents, the investigation began when an Internet website reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a specific Internet Protocol (IP) address was engaged in distributing child pornography.  Law enforcement officials determined the location of the IP address and interviewed Cruz.  During the interview, Cruz admitted that he downloaded and viewed child pornography.  Search warrants were executed upon computers located at Cruz’s home, revealing that Cruz possessed more than 27 images and 6 videos containing visual depictions of sexually exploited children.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.  It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Myrna Amelia Mesa.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.