Aguadilla Man Indicted and Arrested for Child Exploitation

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Leonardo Román Domenech, 39, of Aguadilla, PR, for child exploitation. Today, FBI special agents arrested Román Domenech.

According to court documents, from July 2021, through on or about October 2021, Leonardo Román Domenech, using a cellular phone, produced images of a 15-year-old female minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. From July 2021 through August 2024, the defendant possessed images of child pornography.

Leonardo Román Domenech is facing one count of sexual exploitation of children; one count for transportation of child exploitation material; and one count of possession of child exploitation material.

The defendant had his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Héctor Ramos Vega of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. The detention/bail hearing is scheduled for Friday, April 11, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. If convicted for the charges of sexual exploitation of children the defendant faces no less than 15 years up to 30 years in prison; for transportation of child exploitation material, he faces no less than 5 years up to 20 years in prison; and for possession of child exploitation material, he faces up to 10 years in prison; all counts followed by a term of supervised release of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case and Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Emelina Agrait Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.

Tips and information assist the FBI and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. Citizens with information about this or any other federal crime are asked to contact the FBI San Juan Field Office at 787-987-6500, or to submit tips through the FBI’s internet complaint portal at Tips.FBI.gov.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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