Mission Man Convicted On Child Pornography Charges

McALLEN, Texas – Mission resident Jose Alaniz-Allen, 22, has entered a plea of guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. 

Alaniz-Allen came to the attention of law enforcement following an investigation which began Sept. 14, 2012, into persons using the Internet to traffic in child pornography. A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent was able to locate and identify Alaniz-Allen as the owner of a computer as offering to participate in the distribution of child pornography movies through a peer-to-peer network .

On Nov. 29, 2012, a search warrant was executed at his Mission residence and a computer and various external storage media devices were seized. The forensic examination revealed 23 movies of clearly young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The images included children under the age of 12 engaged in bondage and acts of violence. Some of the images are of known victims as identified through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Alaniz-Allen admitted he downloaded child pornography from the Internet thereby receiving and possessing the child pornography found on his computer.

U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez, who accepted the guilty plea, has set sentencing for May 16, 2013. At that time, Alaniz-Allen faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
           
This case, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Leo and Juan Villescas and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, was 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. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."