HSI San Juan Arrests Two Men on Child Exploitation Charges

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Two men were arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on criminal charges related to child exploitation conduct.

On January 26, 2024, the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Taskforce (PRCACTF) led by HSI, arrested Elvin Jhohanie Molina-Rosado, a 35-year-old man from Corozal.

A federal grand jury indicted Molina-Rosado on January 24, 2024, with four counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children, Sexual Enticement of a Minor, Receipt of Child Exploitation Material, and Possession of Child Exploitation Material.

According to court documents, from February of 2020 through April of 2022, the defendant used his computer, cellular phones, and internet social media applications to persuade and entice a female minor, between 12 and 14 years of age, to engage in sexually explicit conduct. During the same period, Molina-Rosado produced, received, and transmitted child exploitation material. He also knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view, said material containing images of child pornography.

If convicted, the defendant faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega, Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit Chief, is prosecuting the case.

In a separate case, Edwin Martínez-Ortiz, a 45-year-old man from Caguas was arrested on January 26, 2024, by HSI’s agents from the Fajardo office.

A federal indictment and arrest warrant were issued on January 24, 2024, against Martínez-Ortiz with two counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children and Possession of Child Exploitation material.

According to the indictment, from March of 2016 through May 1, 2022, the defendant knowingly used a cellular phone to induce a minor between 10 and 16 years of age to engage in sexually explicit conduct, and to produce and transmit the depiction of such conduct. During the same period, Martínez-Ortiz possessed, and accessed with intent to view, images of child exploitation material, including of a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.

If convicted, Martínez-Ortiz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

AUSA Emelina M. Agrait-Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.

“We are committed to bringing the defendants in these cases to justice and protecting every child,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I would like to thank the agents and state and local partners who are relentless in their pursuit of child predators.”

Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Juan said: “Crimes Against Children have a direct impact in our society. Individuals that attack our most vulnerable will be prosecuted and taken to face justice. HSI Agents will protect our children from these predators by dedicating all efforts towards gathering evidence from electronic devices and our multidisciplinary team will assist the victims and their families to ensure their mental health during these investigations.”

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit iGuardians™: Combating Child Predators  and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians.

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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About Homeland Security Investigations

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

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